
The two teams have met 90 times competitively to date, the Werkself coming out on top 35 times and Köln 25. In the last 11 seasons in which both teams have been in the Bundesliga, Bayer 04 have only won both meetings once (4-0 away and 3-0 at home in 2020/21). After the 3-0 win in the reverse fixture this season, the Werkself have the chance to do the double over their local rivals again.
Today's game sees the league's strongest defence face the weakest attack. Leverkusen have conceded just 16 goals so far, while the Billy Goats have scored the same number themselves.
After parting company with Steffen Baumgart before Christmas, Köln appointed a new head coach at the start of the year in Timo Schultz. Since Schultz took over, the cathedral city club have collected seven points from seven Bundesliga outings, including a win against Eintracht Frankfurt and a point away to third-placed VfB Stuttgart last weekend. In that time the Billy Goats have climbed from 17th place to the relegation play-off spot, although they're eight points from 15th place and outright safety. There's more on today's opponents in our opposition profile.
The Werkself will be cheered on by 5,000 fans at the RheinEnergie STADION. As usual, the Bayer 04 Fan Liaison team have put together a guide on the away match HERE.
At 12 noon there will be a fan march of the Nordkurve12 from the main railway station to Neumarkt. From there, special trams will take you to the stadium on the north side. Please note that boarding the special trains at Neumarkt will take some time. Please be patient and listen to the announcements of the police, Fan Liaison and the Cologne authorities.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Tobias Stieler as the referee for today's meeting. The 42-year-old has previously officiated 27 competitive matches involving the Werkself, with a record of 21 wins, three draws and three defeats. Assisting Stieler today are Christian Gittelmann and Marcel Unger on the touchlines and Günter Perl as the VAR.

The penultimate Bundesliga matchday of the calendar year marks the end of an eventful first half of the season for the Bayer 04 Women. After seven wins, one draw and four defeats from the first twelve games of the season, coach Roberto Pätzold's team can go above Werder Bremen in the table with a win on Friday, 12 December (kick-off: 18:30 CET).
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The third showdown in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26 kicks off for the Leverkusen eSports team this Thursday, 11 December (live on the B04eSports Twitch channel from 19:00 CET). In the online preliminary round, the Black and Red will once again take on six previously drawn opponents for a place in the Top 16 and the associated entry into the offline knockout round, which will take place at this third showdown on 19 December in Cologne. Showdown One winners Bayer 04 will face FC St. Pauli, who won the second showdown last month, among others. The lowdown on first three opponents in this online preliminary round.
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Alejandro Grimaldo, of course! With his late equaliser (88') in the Champions League clash against Newcastle United, the Spaniard rescued a point for the Werkself, who took the lead through an own goal by Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes (13') but went with two goals for the visitors scored by Anthony Gordon (51') and Lewis Miley (74'). It was the third draw for Bayer 04 in the current 2025/26 campaign on matchday 6 in the UCL league phase.
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The Werkself will be looking to continue their run in the Champions League against Newcastle United on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET). The two victories without conceding a goal at Benfica (1:0) and Manchester City (2-0) will hopefully be followed by a win at home at the BayArena. Against the English side, who have a player with a Black and Red past in their ranks, the way to victory could be through efficiency in attack and quick transitional play. The latter in particular has recently caused the Magpies problems away from home on the European stage. Fans can also get the stylish matchday sticker for their Sound of Dreams tour pass at the Bayer 04 Fanwelt. The matchday news.
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For the first time ever, Bayer 04 have reached the knockout phase of the UEFA Youth League. At the end of the league phase, the Leverkusen U19s secured a 2-1 home win against Newcastle United on Wednesday, 10 December. Montrell Culbreath scored before half-time and Ferdinand Pohl doubled the lead after the restart in the clash with the English side. The UCL youth competition continues at the beginning of February with the Round of 32, which will be played away from home without a second leg.
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