“Of course, two points after two games isn’t much but the opening fixtures were tough,” explained the Dutchman at the pre-match press conference. The opening match produced a 0-0 draw at VfL Wolfsburg followed by a 1-1 draw against RB Leipzig. “They were strong opponents. What was important to me: We played really well against Leipzig.” After the short preseason in the summer, Peter Bosz has identified a continual improvement in his team in terms of the quality of their game.
VfB Stuttgart have picked up one more point in their first two matches than Bayer 04, who have won 16 out of the last 17 against the next opponents. After the 3-2 defeat against Freiburg in the first Bundesliga match since returning to the top division, the team under coach Pellegrino Matarazzo secured a convincing 4-1 win at Mainz at the weekend.
Bosz and Co. know all about the Swabians from last season’s Round of 16 tie in the DFB Cup. The Werkself came out on top with a narrow 2-1 win en route to the final. “They’re a good team,” said the 56-year-old. “They transition well, have good players in midfield and are are well-balanced as a result. For me they are a team that will have no problems in the Bundesliga due to their quality.”
All the Werkself squad took part in the training session on Thursday with the exception of Paulinho who is still in rehab recovering from his torn cruciate at the start of July. Bosz said his new signing Santiago Arias (Atlético Madrid) has trained well this week. “We’ll have to wait and see if he’s match fit,” reported the Dutchman on Friday. “We’ll see what happens in today’s session as to whether they are all available for the Stuttgart game.”
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky and Werks11 Radio (bayer04.de)
Referee: The match officials will be announced on the day of the game
Attendance: 8,500


Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 0-1 loss against TSG Hoffenheim on the 19th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
Show more
The Bayer 04 Women suffered a setback in the race for third place in the Bundesliga table. Coach Roberto Pätzold's team lost 1-0 at home to direct rivals TSG Hoffenheim on Sunday afternoon, with a penalty after two minutes deciding the match. With 32 points and a game in hand, TSG have moved above the Werkself, who remain on 31 points. There is now a three-week international break before the remaining seven Bundesliga matches.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without defender Loïc Badé for the time being. The Frenchman suffered a muscle injury in his right thigh in Saturday’s 1-0 Bundesliga defeat at FC Union Berlin. The diagnosis was the result of an MRI scan this Sunday morning.
Show more
It is an expression of solidarity and a tribute to the unique fan culture Under the Cross: Bayer 04 Leverkusen make a special statement with the "50 Years of Fan Clubs" jersey. To mark the founding of the "First Fan Club 1976 Leverkusen", which was followed by many more over the years right up to the present day, the Bundesliga club is commemorating 50 years of passion with this new jersey. Highs and lows, successes celebrated together as well as defeats suffered are manifested in this piece of white fabric, a symbol of unwavering identification with the Werkself.
Show more