Mainz 05 triumphed in this fixture last season with a 3-2 win at the BayArena. For the Black-and-Reds it was one of only three home league defeats in total under Xabi Alonso, while for Mainz it's one of just two away wins in the league since October 2022. Bayer 04 came out on top in the last encounter though, winning 3-0 earlier this season.
The two sides have met competitively 36 times in total, with a slight advantage for the Werkself, who have won 19 games. Twelve have gone the way of Mainz, while just five have ended in a draw.
New boss Bo Henriksen, Mainz's third head coach of this season after Bo Svensson and Jan Siewert, got off to a perfect start with a 1-0 win against FC Augsburg last weekend. It ended a run of 11 games without a win and was only their second success of the current campaign. The Rhineland-Palatinate club, who signed Nadiem Amiri from Leverkusen in January, are particularly physical in their play. No side have contested more tackles per game than the 05ers this season (118). Two other stats underline this point: Mainz have registered the most fouls (298) and second-most cards (61). Read a more thorough analysis of the opponents HERE.
Bayer 04 is using the home game against Mainz as an opportunity to organise the second Bayer Sports Family Match Day of the season. With this event and many others, the historic connection between Bayer 04, TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Bayer AG is being passionately revived under the Cross. Numerous activities centred around the Bayer sports clubs and Bayer AG will provide a special setting today. The programme for the themed match day starts with the stadium opening at 18:30 CET in the area around the BayArena and offers a wide range of highlights. More information can be found HERE.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Timo Gerach as the referee for tonight's fixture. The 37-year-old has officiated two matches involving the Werkself to date, with the Black-and-Reds winning both. Gerard will be assisted on the touchlines by Florian Heft and Robert Wessel, with Felix Zwayer as the VAR.
It's time for the first friendly of this summer's pre-season: the Werkself visit Rot-Weiss Essen this evening, Friday 26 July (kick-off 19:00 CEST). All the info on the match at the Stadion an der Hafenstraße.
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Martin Terrier's great anticipation for his first season outside his native France was noticeable. The 27-year-old forward beamed as he described his reasons for the move to the German double winners and his first impressions of day-to-day life in Leverkusen in his first press conference as a Werkself player. Terrier, who like team-mate has joined from Stade Rennes, also spoke about the competition for places in attack, Bayer 04's profile in France and his unusual goal celebration.
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Time to roll up the sleeves and do some good again: At what was now the eighth edition of the BAYER 04 HILFT Day, staff and players once again dedicated an entire day to a good cause this year. Following last year's efforts at NaturGut Ophoven, this time the Bayer 04 team restored the outdoor area of a Leverkusen children's day-care centre with great support from Lebenshilfe-Werkstätten Leverkusen and club partner Coca-Cola.
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With weloveholidays, Bayer 04 Leverkusen welcomes another official partner to the German champions and DFB Cup winners’ Sponsors Club. As part of the British loveholidays group, weloveholidays is one of Europe’s biggest and fastest growing online travel companies. The partnership between the Bundesliga club and the company, which has been active in Germany since May 2023, is set to run until 30 June 2026.
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