Kai Havertz and Julian Brandt filled the top two positions for 'Attacking midfield'. Havertz finished first in the Kicker rankings for the first time. Only Kai and Julian Brandt managed to finish in the 'International class' category. The Kicker assessment reads: "Kai Havertz produced one top performance after next in the second half of the season, scoring11 goals himself and providing one assist. He impressed with an almost perfect mix of abilities and he was the symbol of Leverkusen's fightback… Particularly at the end when the battle for Europe and the Champions League came to head as he helped pull the Bayer team through to Champions League qualification with his seven goals from matchday 28."
The Kicker writes about Julian Brandt, still at Leverkusen but destined to join Borussia Dortmund, as follows: "Julian Brandt moved into the middle under Peter Bosz. The change of position did the 23-year-old a power of good: Brandt coupled his creative skills with an outstanding efficiency (six goals, 12 assists)." Third in the ranking was Dortmund's Marco Reus.
The Chile international and currently Copa America participant Charles Aránguiz and the Austrian Julian Baumgartlinger can both be happy about being ranked so high. In the position of 'Defensive midfield', Aránguiz finished second behind Thiago from Bundesliga rivals FC Bayern in the 'International class’ category: "As a strong in the tackle, stabilising factor, Charles Aránguiz proved convincing in front of the defence. The Chilean also showed his ability at the other end the pitch and his five goals in the last four games of the season played a big part in qualification for the Champions League."
His team-mate Julian Baumgartlinger finished fourth in the rankings. Kicker summed up 'Baumi' as follows: "When Bayer Leverkusen are on song then others like Havertz, Brandt and Volland more openly excel. But Julian Baumgartlinger ensures the attacking players have their space. The Austrian is not the most noticeable player but he is extremely important to the balance of the side with his tactical ability. His marks in Kicker match reports demonstrate he can impress in his own way.
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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