Several players are unavailable for this game after being ready to play in the 2-1 defeat against SC Freiburg. Three other players have joined the current long injury list at the Werkself over the past few days: Timothy Fosu-Mensah suffered a torn cruciate, Florian Wirtz tested positive for Covid-19 and Daley Sinkgraven picked up a muscle injury. While Moussa Diaby served his one-match ban against Freiburg and is now set to return to the squad, Leon Bailey is now sidelined for the same reason.
Head coach Peter Bosz refuses to be downhearted about the situation with the squad. "We have to do good and targeted training with the players who are fit. The most important thing at the moment is that the results have to improve," declared the Dutchman at the pre-match press conference on Friday. And he added: "Either good or perhaps not such attractive football are not the primary focus at the moment. It's about results. If the results are better than confidence will return again. And you need that for good football."
The managing directors Fernando Carro and Rudi Völler plus sporting director Simon Rolfes are doing all they can to provide the best possible support for Bosz in his hard work. The head coach, who led the Werkself to the top of the Bundesliga in December, said: "Backing like that is obviously always good for a coach. Fernando, Rudi, Simon and I – we talk to each other every week. The communication between us is good – not only when the results are bad."
Borussia Mönchengladbach are increasingly suffering the same fate. In five of the last six games, our next opponents took no points (plus one draw). Bosz: "It's clear that both teams are not in the best phase. Therefore, it's an important game. I think it will be an evenly balanced match."
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky and Werks11 Radio
Referee: The match officials will be announced on the day of the game.
Bayer 04 and Olympiacos had only met twice before the current UEFA Champions campaign. After the encounter on Matchday 7 of this season’s league phase, the Werkself travel to face the Greek side for the second time in just four weeks for the knockout play-off first leg. The Black and Reds were dominant for large spells in mid-January but lost 2-0 after missing a number of presentable chances. The Werkself aim to do better on Wednesday night to “seize the chance for revenge,” as managing director sport Simon Rolfes put it. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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A bitter end to the fifth showdown of the 2025/26 VBL Club Championship as the #B04eSports team failed to take any points in the three remaining matches of the preliminary online round of the fifth and final showdown, missing out on the offline round. They can no longer take points in the overall table. Bayer 04 slipped out on the top eight, so direct participation in the final event for the German Club Championship is no longer possible, with Bayer 04 having to contest the play-offs.
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A rematch in Athens: On Wednesday, 18 February (kick-off: 21:00 CET), the Werkself face Greek double winners Olympiacos for the second time this season at the Karaiskakis Stadium. After the encounter in the league phase, it's now time for the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-offs. Ahead of the game, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about how his side will approach the clash, while captain Robert Andrich explained how the team will try to dampen the atmosphere in the stadium tomorrow.
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With the much-celebrated 2-1 derby win against 1. FC Köln, the Bayer 04 Women underlined their credentials as one of the top teams in the Bundesliga. Anyone wishing to support the Werkself in the stadium in the race for third place can now purchase tickets for the home match against FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Tickets are also still available for the upcoming clash against TSG Hoffenheim at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Sunday, 22 February. The latest information at a glance.
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Let's give it our all one more time! Today, Tuesday 17 February (live on the VBL Twitch channel from 18:00 CET), the #B04eSports team play the remaining three preliminary round matches of the fifth and final showdown of the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. The Leverkusen console pros go up against 1. FC Nürnberg, 1. FC Magdeburg and Bayern Munich, aiming to secure their place in the offline knockout round and pick up valuable points for the overall table and the battle to get into the final event for the German Club Championship. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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