Ahead of the clash with the already safe Mainz, the Dutchman declared: "We don't need to think about what's happening on the pitch at Gladbach. We have to win our game. And then we'll see if that's enough in the end."
In the best-case scenario, the Werkself will be happy to repeat the drama of the final matchday of the 2018/19 league campaign: Back then, the Black and Reds qualified for the Champions League with an emphatic 5-1 win against Hertha Berlin and a 2-0 defeat for Gladbach against Borussia Dortmund. "We showed then what is possible," said Bosz.
Good news: Ahead of the game with Mainz, the 56-year-old coach can select his team from his whole squad with the exception of Aleksandar Dragovic who is currently serving a one-match ban. Karim Bellarabi and captain Lars Bender returned to training with the team on Friday following injury. Bosz explained: "We'll see who plays tomorrow. Our only interest is definitely winning the match."
The team coached by Achim Beierlorzer have already secured their top-flight status with two recent wins at Dortmund (2-0) and fellow relegation candidates Werder Bremen (3-1). Bosz does not believe Mainz will let the season end with a whimper. The Werkself coach commenting on tomorrow's opponents: "They played very well against us in our narrow win earlier in the season (1-0 ed.). Mainz have some interesting players and a good team."
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky and Werkself Radio (bayer04.de)
Referee: The referee will be announced on the day of the game
A special visit to the BayArena: 222 members from volunteer fire brigades in Leverkusen, the Rheinisch-Bergisch district and the Oberbergisch district watched the Werkself’s 2–0 home win over Slovenian champions NK Celje live in the stadium. Bayer 04 had invited them to the 2026/27 Europa League opener as a thank-you for their tremendous dedication. They watched the match together in Block F4.
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The Bayer 04 U19s have extended their winning run with a fifth consecutive victory on Matchday 5 of the DFB Youth League’s preliminary round. Coach Patrick Greveraars’ side secured a 3–2 (2–1) win in their match against second-placed FC Viktoria Köln, with Burak Kir and Nebe Domnic scoring for the hosts in the first half before captain Ben Hawighorst found the net after the break.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
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For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
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European football returns to the BayArena: Bayer 04 host Slovenian champions NK Celje on matchday 1 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match on Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez and midfielder Aleix Garcia spoke at the pre-match press conference. The focus was primarily on the great anticipation surrounding the competition and the clear objectives for it – and, given the circumstances, on a last-minute change to the opposition line-up.
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