"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.
Contribute to a good cause and win something special! The Bayer 04 jersey competition is entering its third round: From 10 October and up to and including 29 November, raffle tickets can be purchased for five euros each at the Fanwelt on the south side of the BayArena for the chance to win one of two signed away jerseys. The proceeds from the raffle will be donated to Tafel Leverkusen e.V. as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations.
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A strong and successful partnership that will be continued: Bayer 04 and Energieversorgung Leverkusen GmbH & Co. KG (EVL) have extended their contract for energy supply and related services until 30 June 2027. As part of this, EVL will continue to hold the naming rights to the family section at the BayArena.
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It all kicks off in around a week and a half! The new season of the VBL Club Championship by WOW starts on 16 October. And before the Leverkusen eSports players Marc and Sean Landwehr plus Markus Hüttemann and Keanu Senkbeil compete on the console again, bayer04.de provides an overview of the structural changes for the upcoming eSports season. The changes affect both the match procedure in individual fixtures and the entire competition mode.
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The second international break of the 2025/26 season will begin after the Bundesliga match against Union Berlin (Saturday, 4 October, 15:30 CEST). Werkself players are in action in the next qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The latest information on call-ups.
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