Back
23.02.2024Bundesliga

Matchday news #B04M05: Sold-out BayArena for themed matchday

This evening, Friday 23 February (kick-off 20:30 CET), Bayer 04 open Bundesliga Matchday 23 against 1. FSV Mainz 05 at the sold-out BayArena. The works club is using the fixture to hold its second Bayer Sports Family Matchday of this season. The matchday news has everything you need to know.
crop_20240209_JS_Stadionaufnahmen_0018.jpg

#B04M05 – match facts

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.

focus on 05ers

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

second Bayer Sports Family matchday

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.

Gerach in charge

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.

Related News

Kurzpässe vor #B04KOE
Bundesliga - 13.12.2025

Matchday news #B04KOE: ‘We’ll give our all’ against energetic FC Köln team

Bayer 04 host 1. FC Köln at the BayArena in the final home game of 2025 . Today’s match on Saturday, 13 December kicks off at 18:30.30 pm. The Werkself are looking for three points against 1. FC Köln, who are without a win in four games but they do have a shooting star in their ranks up front. The Bayer 04 Volunteering Award will be presented at the derby against the club from Cologne and another fan club will be honoured for many years of loyalty under the Cross. The matchday news.

Show more
U23-Frauen von Bayer 04
Women - 13.12.2025

Bayer 04 recognised as DFB talent support centre for women

The German Football Association (DFB) has officially recognised Bayer 04 as a women’s talent support centre. As announced by the DFB, 1 FC Köln, Union Berlin, RB Leipzig and Hamburger SV are also certified as performance or talent support centres from 1 January 2026 in addition to the Werkself.

Show more
Zu wenig Torgefahr: Frauen verlieren Top-Spiel in Bremen | 13. Spieltag
Werkself-TV - 12.12.2025

Women: TV-highlights of 0-1 loss at Werder Bremen

Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 0-1 loss at Werder Bremen on the 13th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.

Show more
Katharina Piljic am Ball
Women - 12.12.2025

Toothless Women lose key clash in Bremen

Bayer 04 Women suffered a setback at the halfway point of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga. In a battle of the chasing pack between the teams in third and fourth, coach Roberto Pätzold's side lost 1-0 at SV Werder Bremen in a physical contest. The result leaves the Werkself on 22 points after 13 matchdays and now four points behind Bremen.

Show more
Auslosung UEFA Youth League
U19 - 12.12.2025

Youth League: U19s away to Villarreal in last 16

The Bayer 04 U19s will face Villarreal CF in Spain in the 2025/26 UEFA Youth League round of 16. That was the result of the draw made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday afternoon.

Show more