Beware! There is currently one notable statistic in the league that makes people sit up but also may serve as a warning: The team placed second in the Bundesliga have not won for ten matchdays. Hopefully that will change this weekend. Bayer 04 are in the runners-up spot for the first time since September 2014.
If Bayer 04 beat Mainz on Sunday then the Werkself will have equalled a new club record. In the last 24 Bundesliga fixtures, Leverkusen have scored at least one goal in every game and that equals the previous best in the 1999/2000 league campaign.
Games involving Bayer 04 have a high entertainment value: The matches involving Heiko Herrlich's team have produced the most goals this season: There is an average of 3.5 goals per game (39 goals scored and 27 conceded). Leon Bailey has had the most efforts on opposition goals: The Jamaican has had 42 shots and scored seven goals.
There could be two landmarks for the Werkself in the match against Mainz: Kevin Volland, the top Bayer 04 scorer with ten goals, is on the verge of his 50th Bundesliga goal (16 for Bayer 04, 33 for Hoffenheim), The skipper Lars Bender is on the verge of 100 victories in Germany's top flight.
The match against Mainz 05 offers plenty of chances for reunions. Julian Baumgartlinger played for Mainz between 2011 and 2016 (124 Bundesliga appearances, two goals) and he was even captain at FSV in 2015/16. In the 4-1 win at Hoffenheim, he scored his first competitive goal for Bayer 04. On the Mainz side, René Adler, the currently injured goalkeeper, has an extensive Leverkusen past: The shot-stopper played for the Werkself from 2000 to 2012 and went on to play for Germany during that period. Right back Giulio Donati (43 Bundesliga games from 2013-16) and Levin Öztunali (15 Bundesliga games from 2013-14) also played for the Black and Reds.
It is now a tradition after Bundesliga home games for the Werkself for well-known visitors to call into the Schwadbud after the final whistle to discuss the action on the pitch with stadium announcer Tobias Ufer, fan liaison officers Rüdiger Vollborn and Frank Linde plus a supporter. This time, Lars Bender is the guest at #W11Fantalk. If you have any questions for the Werkself captain, who has just extended his contract to 2021, please send them in via Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #W11Fantalk. It kicks off between 18.00 and 18..15 CET.
In mid-August, the Werkself will set off on a four-day trip to England to play their final two friendly matches of the 2026/27 pre-season against Premier League clubs Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. The match in Nottingham against the Tricky Trees is on Wednesday 12 August at 20:45 CEST (19:45 BST) at the City Ground. The game against the Magpies in Newcastle is on Saturday 15 August at 16:00 CEST (15:00 BST) at the atmospheric St James’ Park. Details on ticket sales for both matches.
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Black and Red talent development at the highest level – even off the pitch: Apprentices Jule Suermann, Leandra Bellia and Julia Niederheide have successfully completed their two- or three-year apprenticeships at the club. Bayer 04 honoured the trio at the BayArena on Tuesday.
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Following the summer break, most of the players are back in Leverkusen. While two Bayer 04 first-team players are still in action at the World Cup, the players present officially kicked off the new season with fitness assessments. At the Werkstatt, the Bayer 04 rehabilitation and training centre, Robert Andrich, Edmond Tapsoba and the rest of the squad worked up quite a sweat in the sweltering summer heat. New signings Afonso Moreira and Kennet Eichhorn also successfully completed the day’s sessions alongside their new team-mates.
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The Werkself return tomorrow, Tuesday 14 July (from 11:00 CEST at the BayArena; live stream on bayer04.de, the Bayer 04 app and YouTube), with new head coach Carles Martínez leading his first training session as part of the Bayer 04 set-up. His coaching team comprises a mix of new and long-standing colleagues.
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The FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico is underway. A total of eight Leverkusen players are taking part in the 23rd World Cup, with 48 teams in the tournament for the first time. Bayer04.de brings you all the latest from Werkself players at the World Cup.
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