Today's meeting between the Black-and-Reds and the Wolves is their 56th in all competitions. The visiting team have constantly had the upper hand in recent times, with none of the last 15 Bundesliga games involving Leverkusen and Wolfsburg resulting in a home win. That includes the reverse fixture this season, which Bayer 04 won 2-1 in Lower Saxony. That was one of 11 defeats so far this season for the Wolves, who are currently having their joint-worst Bundesliga campaign and are still without a win in this calendar year. There have been six draws and two losses for Niko Kovac's side so far in 2024, who once played for Bayer 04 along with his brother and assistant coach Robert Kovac (Niko from 1996-1999, Robert from 1996-2001).
So, Wolfsburg are suffering a loss of form at the moment. With 25 points from 24 games, they sit in 13th place in the table having gone nine league matches without a win. They may have had little return in terms of points lately, but there's been no lack of desire and commitment during the winless run. The games have always been close, with VfL never losing by more than a single goal. The Wolves are in mid-table defensively with 39 goals conceded this season. More on today's visitors from Lower Saxony can be found in our in-depth opposition profile.
The Aktive Fanszene/NK 12 has planned a bus reception for today's match and is calling on all Bayer 04 fans to take part in the campaign. The fans will welcome the team bus at around 18:10 as it passes the corner of the stadium and Bismarckstraße.
Bayer 04 is again calling on all fans to donate food for the Leverkusener Tafel e.V. today. We ask everyone to take part in the campaign and contribute goods. Bayer 04 will accept the donations at the collection points next to the A-Block and at the West Entrance (near the Stelzenautobahn) from 17:30.
After the match, Jeremie Frimpong will help with the distribution of the foodstuffs, supporting the important social work of the volunteers
The works club is also once again calling for cup donations. The donation campaign is traditionally very popular with Bayer 04 fans. At the last home game against 1. FSV Mainz 05, for example, over 1,400 deposit cups were donated - more than ever before in the current season. This weekend, the proceeds will go to the Förderverein Fanprojekt Leverkusen e.V., and after the second leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 16 against Qarabag, the collection will once again go to Wildpark Reuschenberg. Every cup donation brings in two euros for a good cause. The collection containers are located in the lower tier in the immediate vicinity of the exits, and in the north curve centrally opposite block SD3/D3.
Bayer 04 thanks all the fans who have supported this campaign already and will continue to do so. Our heartfelt thanks also go to those who are supported by you!
Due to a switch upgrade in the Leverkusen Mitte station area, there are restrictions on today's train journeys. The regional trains RE1 and RE5 will be diverted via the S-Bahn tracks in the direction of Düsseldorf and, with a few exceptions, will not stop at Leverkusen Mitte. The S6 is not affected.
Bayer 04 is staging its second Member Matchday. This aims to attract members with a range of challenges, attractive discounts, exclusive competitions as well as numerous other events in and around the BayArena. The highlight is the first exclusive club collection. It all starts two hours before kick-off when stadium opens at 17.30 CET. More information HERE.
Daniel Siebert is the referee for today's fixture. The 39-year-old has taken charge of 23 Werkself matches to date (nine wins, six draws, eight defeats). Assisting him today are Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn, with Benjamin Cortus as the VAR.
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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