As with Bochum, Fortuna Köln are familiar opponents for Bayer 04 in friendly matches. The last time the two teams met was in November last year with Leverkusen winning 1-0 at the Haberland Stadium. The goalscorer was Kai Havertz who, five days earlier, had become the youngest ever player to make his debut for the Werkself in the Bundesliga match against Darmstadt 98. Back then, Bayer 04 played Fortuna without 15 internationals and this time it will be nine – plus the two U19 players Sam Schreck and Atakan Akkaynak. The injured Charles Aránguiz (Chile) and Tin Jedvaj (Croatia) are unable to play for their countries this time round.
Head coach Heiko Herrlich will again use the opportunity against Köln to give time on the pitch to players in his squad who have not appeared much recently – such as goalkeeper Rambo Özcan, Stefan Kießling, André Ramalho, Vladlen Yurchenko and Marlon Frey. Fortuna Köln have had an excellent start to their third division campaign and are currently third in the table behind Paderborn and Magdeburg after eleven games. The team coached by Uwe Koschinat have only lost one game and they secured a 3-1 victory in their last match at Großaspach.
Bayer 04 have arranged another friendly for the third international window of the season against MSV Duisburg on 9 November.
Midfielder Ruby Grant is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and joining Portuguese runners-up Sporting CP a year before her contract expires. The 24-year-old has been at the Werkself since January 2025.
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Bayer 04 have loaned Brazilian full-back Arthur to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for one year. Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares – the full name of the right-back – has a contract with Leverkusen until 30 June 2031. At Werder, the 23-year-old is expected to make an impact and help the long-established club further consolidate their position in the Bundesliga.
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Bayer 04 have loaned defender Jeanuel Belocian to Spanish top-flight side Racing Santander. The 21-year-old defender joins the team currently ninth in La Liga until the end of the current 2026/27 season. Belocian’s contract remains valid until 30 June 2029. Last season, the 1.86-metre-tall U21 international was loaned to VfL Wolfsburg for six months.
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He knows the dressing room, the pitch and the club. But, above all, he knows the feeling of playing for the Werkself at the BayArena: Moussa Diaby is back in Leverkusen after three years. The lightning-fast winger has signed a contract with Bayer 04 until 2031 and he will once again wear the number 19 jersey. The left-footed player previously played for the club from 2019 to 2023, having arrived in the Rhineland from his native France as a promising young talent and eventually leaving the club – having established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s best attackers – to join Aston Villa in the Premier League. Now he has returned to Bayer 04 from Al-Ittihad FC in Saudi Arabia.
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