The two recent poor performances are still in mind and the disappointment suitably great. “But now we have the next game straight away. On the one hand, it’s good to be playing again so quickly but, on the other, we don’t have much time to prepare,” said Bosz at the pre-match press conference. His team has to rediscover the form shown in the games against Bayern Munich, Schalke 04 and Juventus. Bosz: “Those games proved we can do better. We have to perform like that again tomorrow.”
The next opponents for Bayer 04 have just gone through the first change of coaches this term: Nine points from eleven games saw the departure of Sandro Schwarz and his successor Achim Beierlorzer (formerly at FC Köln) has secured three wins in his first five matches in charge – including the 5-1 victory over Hoffenheim and the 5-0 win at Werder Bremen. “Those are good results. We can expect a tough but very interesting game,”, said Bosz.
After the recent defeats, there was criticism of Bayer 04 playmaker Kai Havertz. His substitution in the home game Hertha was met with jeers from some members of the crowd of the BayArena. “I can’t understand it. Since I’ve been here, people have talked about the Bayer 04 family. For me, that is the fans, players and staff. Everybody together. There were a few people who booed but it wasn’t the whole stadium. But I would never have a go at my family. It doesn’t help the team,” declared Bosz.
The Dutchman added: “The lad is from our own youth teams and he’s already given this club so much – although he is still very young. He can have a bad game. I told him that when he gets back on track – and I’m convinced of that –, he will be stronger than before.”
1,600 travelling fans will support the Werkself in the last game of the year. Bosz, who will choose his squad after the final pre-match training session, concluded: “Tomorrow we have the chance to partly make amends. The points are important if we want to moving up before Christmas. We’ll try to win at Mainz.”
Match information:
TV broadcaster: Sky
Referee: Patrick Ittrich
Tickets: Away tickets are sale at the ground from 12.30 CET
The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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The Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog, you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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“Say hello to the Werkself!” – With this request, Loïc Bade gathers everybody in front of his GoPro: Including team-mates like Ibrahim Maza, Lucas Vázquez, Aleix Garcia and Ernest Poku, or Bayer 04 CEO Fernando Carro, head coach Carles Martínez, or even the reception team at the Spa & GolfResort Weimarer Land. In between, there are glimpses of the pool area and the Werkself’s team quarters. Enjoy!
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