The new season is kicking off for the Werkself; for Bayer 04 supporters, there is a new way of travelling to matches: with the free car-share platform WERKSELFgo, fans can now organise their journeys to Leverkusen matches easily and conveniently. Through WERKSELFgo, you can form car pools with other Bayer 04 supporters, find lifts and share travel costs. How does it all work? Simply register on the platform using your Bayer 04 account, search for a lift or post a journey yourself. The passengers themselves decide how much it should cost. Further information is available HERE.
For newly promoted Elversberg, the match against Werkself will be the first Bundesliga fixture in the club’s history. The Saarland-based side are the 59th team to compete in Germany’s top flight. However, ‘Elv’ are by no means unknown to the Black and Reds – the two sides have already met twice in the DFB Pokal. In July 2022, Bayer 04 suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat at the Kaiserlinde, but took their revenge two and a half years later with a 3–0 home win – thanks to a brace from Patrik Schick and a stunning free-kick strike from Aleix Garcia.
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The Saarland side impressed last season in the second division with the best attack (64 goals) and were also in fine form during the recent pre-season. Over the summer, ‘Elv’ have further strengthened their attack with young talents from top German clubs: Among others, Cole Campbell (previously at Borussia Dortmund), Noah Darvich (on loan from VfB Stuttgart) and Noel Futkeu (on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt) moved to Elversberg. However, it was a player on loan from Bayer 04 who made the difference in the DFB Pokal tie against MSV Duisburg: Francis Onyeka secured a late victory for head coach Vincent Wagner’s team with a brace. How the coach now intends to hold his own in the Bundesliga is revealed in our lowdown on the next opponents.
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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On Friday afternoon, it will be decided which eight of the 36 participating teams Bayer 04 will face in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in 2026/27. At the draw in Monaco (live on UEFA.com), the Werkself will be drawn against two teams from each of the four pots, allocated according to the UEFA club coefficient. A match against an opponent from the same country is ruled out, as is facing more than two clubs from the same national association. Here’s a look at the pots and potential opponents.
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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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