Today's match brings together the team with the best home record against the side with the current best away record. While BVB are unbeaten at home in the league for the last eleven games and are top of the home form table, the Werkself are on a run of 24 Bundesliga away games unbeaten having completed 2024 without a single league defeat on the road.
BVB are on another long run. Since 2004, Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten both in the first Bundesliga match of a new year (15 wins, five draws) as well as in Friday home games (30 wins, nine draws). Both are current records in the history of the Bundesliga.
With a 3-1 victory away to VfL Wolfsburg in the final game of last year, the team under head coach Nuri Sahin picked up another three important points before the winter break as they moved up to sixth in the table to keep in touching distance with the Champions League spots. It was the first away win of the season. With room for improvement away from home contrasting with strength on their own turf there is a lack of consistency overall in the BVB performances. Nuri Sahin said: "We've had too many ups and downs. I expect me and my team to be more consistent." Further information on Borussia Dortmund can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
The Black and Reds can look forward to strong support in the first competitive match in the new calendar year. 8,000 supporters will fill the away section at the clash with BVB. The Bayer 04 Fan Liaison team have compiled key information for the away game in Dortmund for the travelling Leverkusen support. HERE is the fan information.
There will be a minute's silence before the kick-off at tonight’s top match for the long-standing BVB keeper and former goalkeeping coach Wolfgang 'Teddy' de Beer. The former football player passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 60 on 30 December. The club legend won nine trophies with BVB – as a goalkeeper, reserve keeper and goalkeeping coach.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Tobias Stieler as the referee for the opening fixture on Bundesliga Matchday 16. The 43-year-old referee has previously been in charge of 30 games involving the Werkself (24 wins, three draws, three defeats). Stieler's assistant referees are Christof Günsch and Frederick Assmuth with Robert Schröder in action as the VAR official.
The match will be broadcast live on free TV by Sat. 1 as well as by Sky on pay TV. As ever, supporters unable to be at the match can follow the game on Werkself Radio. The audio broadcast starts 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep fans up-to-date. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 4-0 win at SGS Essen on the 24th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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Bayer 04 put in a brilliant performance to beat RB Leipzig 4-1 on Bundesliga matchday 32 and are now fourth in a Champions League spot. The Black and Reds took control of the game right from the start and, with 75 per cent possession at one stage, took a 2-0 lead into the break through Patrik Schick (25’) and Nathan Tella (45+1’). The visitors initially tried to do more after the break, but the Werkself remained determined and Schick scored his second goal to increase the lead to 3-0 (76'). The Red Bulls pulled a goal back through Christoph Baumgartner (80'), but the disciplined Leverkusen side were not rattled - and certainly not Schick: The Czechia international crowned a brilliant display with his third goal shortly before the final whistle to make the final score 4-1.
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In the previous game against RB Leipzig in December last year, the Werkself turned came from behind to win 3-1 and further improved Leverkusen's already strong record against the Red Bulls. Montrell Culbreath stood out with his first goal on his debut for the Black and Reds. While the 18-year-old would certainly like to score a second goal against Leipzig on Saturday night, the attack-minded visitors come to the BayArena in confident mood after five Bundesliga victories in a row. The Nordkurve12 supporters group knows the Werkself will therefore once again be reliant on the vociferous support of the fans, and has once again called for the ‘Finally Red’ campaign in the run-in. Today’s matchday news.
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Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA), together with the German Football League (DFL), announced the top male and female selections for the 2025/26 Bundesliga season this week. Bayer 04 striker Vanessa Fudalla is in the starting eleven of the women's "Team of the Season". Alejandro Grimaldo and Aleix Garcia have been selected as bench players in the men's team.
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