The Werkself have only won one of the last five Bundesliga matches against SC Freiburg (2-1 at home in May 2022) and last term they did not beat Freiburg in either league fixture (one draw, one defeat) for the first time since 2016/2017. Bayer 04 have not lost three games in succession against Freiburg in this millennium.
SCF have never won away to a top-of-the-table team (three draws, 21 defeats) – the last 15 visits to league leaders all ended in defeat and the draw came in April 2004 (1-1 at Werder Bremen).
The BayArena is again sold out for the home game against Freiburg. Every previous Bundesliga home game this term has seen all the tickets for the home sections taken up.
And Bayer 04 fans await a special home matchday as it is the first district matchday. This has involved numerous activities for the people from the Leverkusen district of Opladen over the past days and weeks. Today there is a morning get-together at the Zwieback bar in Opladen. Fans from Opladen can watch the clash with Freiburg together in Blocks A4 and A5.
The club will be present in different areas of Leverkusen over the coming months as part of the new Bayer 04 campaign of district matchdays. The game against Freiburg is one of six of these special matchdays this season.
Good news for all passengers on the ÖPNV network coming from Opladen, Cologne, Düsseldorf or wherever: Leverkusen Mitte station is back in action after a long period reconstruction. That will again make it easier for Bayer 04 fans to get to and from the stadium. Albeit the station is not accessible for everybody. Alternatively you can travel on S-Bahn 6 from Cologne/Düsseldorf to Chempark and then take a shuttle bus to the BayArena. All buses on this route take wheelchairs.
SC Freiburg also played their third group match in the Europa League on Thursday. And, like the Werkself, the team under coach Christian Streich also clocked up a win. SCF initially found it hard going in the 3-1 victory at Serbian club Backa Topola and they went into half-time a goal down. They upped their game after the restart. Above all thanks to Vincenzo Grifo. The German-Italian once again turned out to be the match winner with his hat-trick. But Streich was also happy with the performance of his whole team in the second half: "We have very good lads in terms of character who are able to be critical. I'm very happy we turned the game around." Further information on Freiburg can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
Anyone wanting to read key information before the game should take a look at the new Werkself Live. The matchday programme, offering the most important facts and stats on the game in compact form, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively it is available free online. Click HERE for the e-paper.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Daniel Siebert as the match referee. The 39-year-old has previously been in charge of 21 games involving the Werkself (eight wins, five draws, eight defeats). His assistants on the touchline are Jan Seidel and Lasse Koslowski and Benjamin Cortus is in action is the VAR.
As usual, Werkself Radio is available for anybody unable to be at today's game. The audio broadcast begins 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep you up-to-date to ensure you don't miss any of the key match action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
Sandwiched between their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off tie against Olympiacos, Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action on Saturday with a trip to Union Berlin (kick-off: 15:30 CET). It’s a fixture of contrasting styles, with Leverkusen preferring to control the play while Union look to remain compact and counter. The Berliners are therefore suited to facing top teams, but they have only ever managed to win one of 16 meetings with the Werkself, who are looking for a fifth clean sheet of 2026 but will need to beware the home side’s threat from set pieces. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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After six wins in seven games, the Werkself will be looking to continue their winning run in the capital at FC Union Berlin. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke ahead of the match on Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET) about defenders, the short preparation time and the condition of the pitch at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
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Union Berlin have performed particularly well against the top clubs in the Bundesliga this season with a draw at home to Bayern Munich and wins against VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. This Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET), the Irons now welcome the Werkself, currently sixth in the table, to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. And the hosts are in desperate need of a win. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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It took exactly 60 minutes for the Werkself to take the lead through a perfectly finished counter-attack by Patrik Schick in the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off at Olympiacos. Referring to the meeting in the league phase and the initially squandered opportunities, coach Kasper Hjulmand said afterwards: "I thought: 'Oh no, déjà-vu.'" But after the opening goal, it took just 144 seconds for the Czech to spark more wild celebrations among those in black and red in the Greek cauldron, when Schick nodded in Alejandro Grimaldo's corner. Much to the delight of the Bayer 04 fans, his teammates and his coach, who had warm words for the striker in the aftermath. The Werkself Review.
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