"Enjoy today, recover tomorrow, then we carry on," declared Xabi Alonso immediately after the 4-1 win at Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday night looking forward to the forthcoming clash with RB Leipzig, a "top team" in the Bundesliga. While Alonso's Werkself can look back at seven league matches without defeat in succession, the Leipzig team have won their last three matches and start in fourth place on Bundesliga matchday 29. The lead over Bayer 04, currently sixth in the table, is seven points.
The fact there is once again the chance of finishing in one of the top spots in the Bundesliga is down in part to the successful balancing act between league and European football. Alonso is not interested in prioritising one of the competitions: "The Bundesliga has exactly the same priority as the Europa League for us. We have been able to compete in both competitions to date. We want to go for it in the league and in Europe!"
The home game against Leipzig is the fifth match in the last 15 days for Lukas Hradecky and Co. However, Xabi Alonso does not see tiredness in his team after the busy period of fixtures: "If your mind is clear then it doesn't matter. We have to play with all our energy on Sunday and we need a top performance.
It remains to be seen if the Spaniard can call on Edmond Tapsoba and Exequiel Palacios for the game against RB Leipzig. Tapsoba was substituted on the hour mark in the quarter-final second leg. Alonso explained: "Eddy has some minor muscular problems. We wanted to rest him as he's an important player for us and we need him. We have important games coming up." Palacios did not travel to Belgium due to muscular problems. "There is a chance for Pala on Sunday but we have to take it day by day."
As in the game in Belgium, the Werkself can again count on the support from the stands in the important home match against Leipzig: 29,000 fans are expected at the BayArena and the home sections are sold out.
A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
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The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
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“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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Bayer 04 produced a dominant and impressive 4-0 win over Union Berlin as they picked up three points in their first home game of the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign. Exequiel Fernández opened the scoring after only 41 seconds, with Facundo Medina doubling the lead before the half-hour mark. Patrik Schick and Ibrahim Maza continued the procession in the second period, in which Moussa Diaby came on for his first Leverkusen appearance for over three years.
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