The Werkself start matchday 12 top of the table with 31 out of a possible 33 points and Werder Bremen are currently twelfth. Werder have picked up ten of their eleven points this term at the Weserstadion. That puts them seventh in the home form table while they are seventeenth in the away table. The Werkself have won all away games this season with the exception of the 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich.
The record for Bayer 04 in Bremen over recent years is positive from a Black and Red perspective: The Werkself have earned three wins and two draws in the last five visits to the Weserstadion. The last away defeat was in October 2016 (1-2).
After three games without defeat, with Werder Bremen picking up five points, the team have made up ground in the table. The Green and Whites were fourteenth on matchday eight just two points above the relegation spots. The team led by coach Ole Werner are now in eleventh place after the 2-0 win against Union Berlin and the two 2-2 draws away to VfL Wolfsburg and at home to Eintracht Frankfurt. The gap to seventeenth place is now five points. Not yet comfortable but nevertheless a small cushion. Further information on today's opponents can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
Ahead of today's game in the Hanseatic city, Bayer 04 have taken up the full allocation of away tickets. A total of 4,000 Bayer 04 fans are expected to get behind the Werkself in Bremen. Away tickets will not be on sale at the Weserstadion.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Martin Petersen as today's match referee. The 38-year-old referee has previously been in charge of six games involving the Werkself with an outcome of three wins, one draw and two defeats. Petersen will be assisted by Alexander Sather and Robert Wessel with Daniel Schlager in action as 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.
A special visit to the BayArena: 222 members from volunteer fire brigades in Leverkusen, the Rheinisch-Bergisch district and the Oberbergisch district watched the Werkself’s 2–0 home win over Slovenian champions NK Celje live in the stadium. Bayer 04 had invited them to the 2026/27 Europa League opener as a thank-you for their tremendous dedication. They watched the match together in Block F4.
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The Bayer 04 U19s have extended their winning run with a fifth consecutive victory on Matchday 5 of the DFB Youth League’s preliminary round. Coach Patrick Greveraars’ side secured a 3–2 (2–1) win in their match against second-placed FC Viktoria Köln, with Burak Kir and Nebe Domnic scoring for the hosts in the first half before captain Ben Hawighorst found the net after the break.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
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For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
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European football returns to the BayArena: Bayer 04 host Slovenian champions NK Celje on matchday 1 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match on Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez and midfielder Aleix Garcia spoke at the pre-match press conference. The focus was primarily on the great anticipation surrounding the competition and the clear objectives for it – and, given the circumstances, on a last-minute change to the opposition line-up.
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