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.
From the 2027/28 season, the Women’s Bundesliga will be organised by an independent league association. Following the unanimous decision taken at the DFB Bundestag (national conference) on Friday afternoon, the league’s separation from the DFB is now official.
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Following the Bundesliga clash against RB Leipzig (Sunday, 20 September, 15:30 CEST), some of the Werkself first team players will be heading off for the first international break of the season. Here is an overview of the Bayer 04 players called up for their national teams and all the details of their upcoming matches.
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A special visit to the BayArena: 222 members from volunteer fire brigades in Leverkusen, the Rheinisch-Bergisch district and the Oberbergisch district watched the Werkself’s 2–0 home win over Slovenian champions NK Celje live in the stadium. Bayer 04 had invited them to the 2026/27 Europa League opener as a thank-you for their tremendous dedication. They watched the match together in Block F4.
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The Bayer 04 U19s have extended their winning run with a fifth consecutive victory on Matchday 5 of the DFB Youth League’s preliminary round. Coach Patrick Greveraars’ side secured a 3–2 (2–1) win in their match against second-placed FC Viktoria Köln, with Burak Kir and Nebe Domnic scoring for the hosts in the first half before captain Ben Hawighorst found the net after the break.
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