Three Black and Red players are unavailable for this clash. Karim Bellarabi and captain Lars Bender are back on the pitch after injury but are not yet involved in full training. Central striker Lucas Alario also misses the match with his yellow card at Schalke leading to a one-match ban.
"If no more babies are born tonight then everybody else should be available for the squad," said head coach Peter Bosz with a smile at today's pre-match press conference. The Dutchman was making reference the birth of Leon Bailey’s son Leo on Sunday morning that led to his dropping out of the game at Schalke 04 late on
With three games to play, the late point in Gelsenkirchen means the Werkself hold all the aces in the battle to qualify for Europe's elite club competition. "But to keep it in our hands we have to win three times – and that starts tomorrow against Köln," declared Bosz.
To come out on top in the game against the Goats, the head coach believes it needs a "top performance". The 56-year-old added: "We have to be on top of our game – regardless of whether it's a home or away match – and whether fans are there or not. I'm completely confident we can achieve that tomorrow."
FC Köln have not won a single match since the Bundesliga restart and lost 2-1 last time out against Union Berlin. "The fact Köln have not won after the break due to the coronavirus pandemic is not important. The same applies to Schalke 04 and we all saw what happened in the end," warned Bosz, who also made it clear: "Of course, it's also about making amends for us: It's a derby – that's very important for our fans and for us too. We lost the game earlier in the season because we were poor. We have to be better tomorrow. It all depends on us."
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky and Werkself Radio (bayer04.de)
Referee: The referee will be announced on the day of the game
A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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