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.
The Bayer 04 Women's team coaches remain in place: The Werkself have extended the contract with assistant coach Remzi Kahraman by two years to 2027. The 30-year-old will continue to assist head coach Roberto Pätzold along with fellow assistant coach Friederike Mehring.
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The head coaches of the U16 to U19 youth teams at Bayer 04 welcome some new faces to the coaching staff for the 2025/26 campaign. Overview of new set-up.
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The Bayer 04 Women are enjoying their richly deserved summer break up to 23 June following the best Bundesliga season in the club’s history. Six weeks after last season’s final matchday at VfL Wolfsburg (1-3), head coach Roberto Pätzold will welcome his squad for the first training session at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre on Monday morning. There will be a break in the preseason from 20 July to 3 August before training resumes on Monday, 4 August.
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The Werkself summer timetable is taking shape. The team under head coach Erik ten Hag will play four friendlies following the training camp in Rio de Janeiro (14 to 24 July). Bayer 04 are away to VfL Bochum, Fortuna Sittard and Chelsea. Another friendly is planned for the season opener at the BayArena.
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