Although champions of Germany back in 1912, this is Kiel’s first season in the Bundesliga. The Werkself have only faced the Storks four times before. Two of those came in the 1978/79 Bundesliga 2 North, with a pair of 2-1 wins, before a 3-1 victory in the 2003/04 DFB Pokal prior to this season’s 2-2 draw at the BayArena in the Bundesliga.
Holstein currently sit bottom of the Bundesliga, with their total of 13 points from 22 games the second worst by a top-flight newcomer in the era of three points for a win. Only Greuther Fürth have been worse off at this stage of their maiden campaign (12 points in 2012/13).
Kiel are without a win in their last five games. They have so far managed just three victories in their 22 Bundesliga fixtures (all at home). Marcel Rapp’s side also have the worst defence in the division with 57 goals conceded, but they are bold going forward and have netted 34 times themselves, which is only two fewer than fourth-placed RB Leipzig, for example. The promoted side have also been good for late goals, earning seven points from losing positions thanks to strikes in the final 15 minutes – only five teams have better numbers in that regard. You can find out more about today’s opponents in our in-depth profile.
The Holstein-Stadion was first opened in 1911 and is therefore the oldest stadium in the state of Schleswig-Holstein and one of the 20 oldest in Germany. It has a capacity of 15,034, making it the second smallest in the 2024/25 Bundesliga. It’s around 500 kilometres from the BayArena.
Asked at his pre-match press conference about the state of the pitch, Kiel boss Rapp said: “The pitch isn’t currently in the best condition due to the weather. It could be a slight disadvantage for teams who like to pass the ball.”
A total of 1,700 fans will be making the trip from Leverkusen to support the team. The Bayer 04 Fan Liaison team have as usual put together information for all travelling supporters HERE.
The German FA (DFB) have appointed Daniel Schlager to oversee this game. The 35-year-old has previously taken charge of 11 fixtures involving the Werkself (W7, D2, L2). His assistants are Sven Waschitzki-Günther and Arno Blos; the VAR is Felix Brych.
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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