Matchday news #B04TSG: Bundesliga season kicks off at BayArena
The 2025/26 Bundesliga season begins for the Werkself with a home game against Hoffenheim on Saturday. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Matchday 1 fixture at the BayArena.
#B04TSG: Match facts
Bayer 04 are on an excellent run against Hoffenheim with wins in the last five meetings. The Werkself have also started the season with victory in each of the last two years. It all bodes well for today’s opening fixture, especially with Patrik Schick in the team. The Czech striker has scored six times against Hoffenheim – there’s no other Bundesliga team he’s got more against.
Focus on Hoffenheim
After the disappointment of a 15th-place finish last season, Hoffenheim are looking for much better this term. Managing director for sport Andreas Schicker has trimmed their oversized squad and also brought in reinforcements. New arrivals Koki Machida (Union Saint-Gilloise) and Vladimir Coufal (West Ham United) are intended to help shore up the defence, while Tim Lemperle (Köln) and Fisnik Asllani (returning from loan at Elversberg) will bolster the attack alongside Andrej Kramaric and Max Moerstedt. TSG want to play quick, attacking football under Christian Ilzer, as they demonstrated in their 4-0 DFB Pokal win over Hansa Rostock of the 3. Liga last weekend. Learn more about our opponents HERE.
Siebert in charge
The German FA (DFB) have appointed Daniel Siebert to oversee this match at the BayArena. The 41-year-old has previously taken charge of 27 Bundesliga and two cup fixtures involving the Werkself (W11, D10, L8). The first of those was actually against Hoffenheim 11 years ago. His assistants are Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn. The fourth official is Daniel Schlager and the VAR is Benjamin Cortus.
Related News
Werkself-TV - 01.11.2026
Women: TV-highlights of 0-1 loss at FC Bayern
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 0-1 loss at Bayern Munich in the round of 16 of the women's DFB-Pokal 2026/27
Show more
Bayer 04 - 01.11.2026
Rudi recounts…: Vollborn November highlights
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 working 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 personal 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
Bundesliga - 31.10.2026
Werkself suffer first home loss in 4-2 defeat to Stuttgart
Having previously recorded six consecutive home wins across all competitions, Bayer 04 suffered their first home defeat of 2026/27 as they went down 4-2 to VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Matchday 8. The visitors capitalised on their first two chances to score, with Ermedin Demirovic and Jamie Leweling finding the net in the first half. Although Patrik Schick got a goal back in the first half, Bilal El Khannouss and Demirovic again added further goals for Stuttgart. Bayer 04 didn’t give up, but Ibrahim Maza’s goal proved little more than a consolation.
Show more
Bundesliga - 31.10.2026
Matchday news: Take cup momentum into Stuttgart home game
Fans at the BayArena got to enjoy a spectacle on Wednesday as the Werkself came from behind to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the DFB Pokal. Now with the sixth home game of the season, can Bayer 04 maintain their perfect record in Leverkusen as VfB Stuttgart come to town in the Bundesliga on Saturday (15:30 CET)? The visitors have had issues domestically this term, sitting in 15th place, although they have had much better results in the UEFA Champions League. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Matchday 8 encounter…
Show more
Women - 30.10.2026
‘Put in a top performance’: Women’s side take on holders Bayern Munich in DFB Pokal Round of 16
The Bayern Munich women’s football team are unbeaten in all domestic competitions in the last 62 matches. On Sunday (15:00 CET), the Bayer 04 women’s team will make their next attempt to end the holders unbeaten run in the DFB Pokal Round of 16 tie. For coach Roberto Pätzold, there are a number of factors that give the Werkself cause for optimism despite the high-calibre opposition.
Show more
