The Werkself have won three of the last four Bundesliga meetings with Leipzig, which is more wins than in the first 13 league encounters combined (two). However, Leverkusen were beaten the last time the sides met for Bayer 04’s sole defeat in their last 52 Bundesliga fixtures (W40, D11).
Leipzig have 31 points on the board after 18 games this season. They have only had fewer at this stage of a top-flight campaign in 2021/22 (25). As for Leverkusen, they’re enjoying their second-best start to a Bundesliga season with 41 points, with only last year’s haul of 48 able to top that.
It’s been a very up-and-down season so far for fifth-placed Leipzig. Things started well in the Bundesliga, but they ended up suffering some heavy defeats towards the mid-point, including a 5-1 loss at Bayern Munich. Last weekend, Marco Rose’s men threw away a 3-0 lead for the first time in their Bundesliga history to be held at Bochum. “It isn’t just today but quite frequently this season that we’ve been too naive. We’re jeopardising our goals,” the coach bemoaned afterwards. Find out more about Leipzig in our in-depth analysis.
There are set to be 2,900 Werkself fans supporting the team in Leipzig today. We’ve got all the key information for everyone in attendance HERE.
The German FA (DFB) have appointed Bastian Dankert to oversee this game in Leipzig. The 44-year-old has previously taken charge of 15 competitive fixtures involving the Werkself (W8, D1, L6). His assistants are René Rohde and Marcel Unger. Felix Zwayer is the VAR.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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