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.
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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