TSG Hoffenheim have not lost more home games in the Bundesliga against any other club than they have against Bayer 04 (nine). In addition, the team from the Kraichgau have not conceded as many goals at home in the Bundesliga against any other side as they have against the Werkself (29).
TSG have only been in the lead for 38 minutes at home in this Bundesliga campaign and it is at least 65 minutes for all the other teams. Bayer 04 have only been behind for a total of 21 minutes so far this season – the best record in the league this term.
TSG made their best start to the season in their Bundesliga history with 15 points from seven games. Since then however, they have experienced ups and downs: First there was a defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt (1-3), then a 3-2 victory over VfB Stuttgart, and finally a 1-0 defeat against Borussia Dortmund in the last round of the DFB Pokal with the cup exit representing another setback. Hoffenheim are now sixth in the Bundesliga table. TSG, who only avoided relegation late on last season, are currently in touch with the European spots. Further information on today's opponents can be found in our lowdown on our next opponents.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Frank Willenborg as the man in the middle against TSG. The 44-year-old referee has previously been in charge of nine games involving the Werkself that ended in five wins, two draws and two defeats. Willenborg will be assisted on the touchlines by Guido Kleve and Arne Aarnink with Tobias Stieler on VAR duty.
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.
It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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“They stuck with us over the past few weeks when things weren’t going so well,” said captain Edmond Tapsoba, thanking the fans for their support after the 2–1 win in Cologne and dedicating the derby victory to them. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Werkself had looked unfazed and in command, inflicting the first home defeat of the season on FC Köln. It was the sixth consecutive win against the Cologne team for Bayer 04 – head coach Carles Martínez, on the other hand, was facing the team from the neighbouring city for the first time and “now really knows what this derby win means”. The Werkself derby review.
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Following the 2–1 derby victory away at FC Köln on Bundesliga matchday 9, Edmond Tapsoba, Malik Tillman and Aleix Garcia spoke to Werkself TV...
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-1 derby win at 1. FC Köln Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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There were celebrations among those in black and red at the RheinEnergieSTADION. On Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, the Werkself beat 1. FC Köln 2-0 and registered their sixth successive win in the derby. Aleix Garcia put Bayer 04 in front after just seven minutes with a direct free kick. Leverkusen played with discipline and energy after that and didn't allow some fierce challenges to unsettle them. Patrik Schick made it 2-0 in the 86th minute, and Said El Mala's goal in stoppage time for Köln proved nothing more than consolation. Jonas Hofmann crowned the derby win with his 100th appearance for the club.
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