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.
Today brings the first match of the season for the Werkself. Bayer 04 kick off the 2026/27 campaign today, Saturday 22 August, at 13:00 CEST with a first-round DFB Pokal tie away to third-tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. The 3,700 travelling fans can not only look forward to what will hopefully be a successful start to the season, but also now organise their journeys to Black and Reds games even more easily via the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Meanwhile, following two defeats at the start of the league season, SV Wehen are hoping to spring a surprise in the DFB Pokal tie. Today’s matchday news.
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Carolin Simon is the new captain of the Bayer 04 women’s team. The full-back, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, will take over the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 season. Simon returned to Leverkusen in the summer after ten years away. The 33-year-old succeeds goalkeeper Friederike Repohl, who retired at the end of last season.
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Bayer 04 start the 2026/27 season away to third-division side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Ahead of the DFB Pokal tie on Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez spoke at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. The topics: anticipation, passion, the fans’ support – and the captaincy for the new season.
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After 62 days of preparation, the time has finally come: the Werkself kick off the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season on Sunday (16:00 CEST) with an away match at RB Leipzig. Following a major shake-up over the summer, with eleven players leaving and twelve new signings, initial impressions from the past few weeks have given manager Roberto Pätzold great cause for optimism.
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SV Wehen Wiesbaden undoubtedly envisaged a different start to the new season. After two matchdays, the Hessen side currently sit bottom of the Liga 3 table. On Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), SVWW host the Werkself in the first round of the DFB Pokal at their home ground, the BRITA Arena. It was there, in this very competition a year ago, that the club almost pulled off a massive upset. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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