The Werkself are unbeaten in the last 14 league games. Mainz 05 are currently enjoying their second best Bundesliga campaign with 28 points after 16 games. They have won six of the last seven matches. Behind Bayer 04 (19), FSV have the second most points (18) since the start of Matchday 10. Patrik Schick has scored 11 times and the Mainz 05 striker Jonathan Burkhardt has the second highest number with seven goals.
Mainz 05 are scoring for fun at the moment with the team under coach Bo Henriksen netting at least three times in six of their seven away games. In addition, FSV have scored two goals in each of the last seven Bundesliga matches and have thereby set a club record. And talking about goals: Bayer 04 scored goals eight and nine in the first 15 minutes in the Bundesliga against Borussia Dortmund on Friday night and that is the best return in the league. The second highest number of goals in the first 15 minutes of a match have been scored by Mainz (seven).
From almost being relegated last season, and only surviving on the final matchday, to Champions League contenders? FSV Mainz 05 are definitely on an impressive run and have gone through an incredible development over the past few months. The 2-0 win against VfL Bochum last Saturday put Mainz in fourth place for the time being. The reason for the impressive form is, in addition to a convincing attack, a solid defence (the second best in the league together with RB Leipzig and St. Pauli). Further information on Mainz can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
For the start of the new year, Bayer 04 are offering fans a 30% discount on selected vegan dishes at the Veggie Corner for the three January home games against Mainz 05, Borussia Mönchengladbach (18.01, 18.30 CET) and Sparta Prague (29.01, 21.00 CET). On offer:
Please note: The discount only applies the above-mentioned products. All other items are charge of the regular prices.
Anyone wanting to discover the latest information ahead of kick-off can take a look at the new Werkself Live. The matchday magazine, which includes key facts and stats on the match, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively it is available free online. HERE is the e-paper.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Tobias Welz for tonight's match. The 47-year-old referee has been in charge of 19 games involving the Werkself to date (six wins, four draws, nine defeats). His assistants today are Martin Thomsen and Asmir Osmanagic with Sören Storks in action as the VAR.
The match will be broadcast live on Sky. As ever, supporters unable to be at the match can follow the game on Werkself Radio. The audio broadcast starts 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep fans up-to-date. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
After being nominated for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025, Martin Terrier's wonderful strike for the opener against FC Köln is now also up for selection for the ARD Sportschau Goal of the Month award for December 2025. Bayer 04 fans have until 19:00 CET on 10 January to vote for the French forward.
Show more
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show more
"In every ending lies a new beginning" is a well-known saying. This phrase has probably never been more apt at Bayer 04. After winning the Bundesliga in 2023/24 and finishing as runners-up in 2024/25, the summer was the most eventful ever in terms of transfers. Over ten players and the coach, including the coaching staff, left the club. A lot of the heroes of the double-winning side began a new chapter. It was the end of an era. And at the same time the beginning of a new, very exciting and promising chapter for Leverkusen. The Werkself welcomed more than a dozen new arrivals, including experienced title-winners and young talents, to build a new "foundation for a successful team capable of winning titles" under the Bayer Cross, as managing director sport Simon Rolfes put it. A new spirit, a new hunger, a new story was to be created. Bayer04.de looks back at the first few months of this story and the final act of the preseason.
Show more
43 points at the end of the last Bundesliga season were not only more than ever before for the Bayer 04 Women, but also led to a record fourth-place finish. That was followed by a Hinrunde with many more victories, but also some setbacks. In an interview with bayer04.de, sporting director Achim Feifel takes stock at the end of the year.
Show more
With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.
Show more
