Bottom of the table SV Darmstadt entertain league leaders Bayer 04. The top side in the Bundesliga has won twelve of the last 14 matches between the teams in 18th and first positions. There are big differences between the two sides and not just in terms of the table: The team from Hessen have by far the weakest defence in this Bundesliga campaign (47 goals conceded) while Bayer 04 have let in the least goals this term (14). In addition, no other Bundesliga team has had as few touches in the opposition penalty area as Darmstadt (340). Bayer 04 have more than twice as many with 734 touches in the opponents' box.
It has been a long while since SV Darmstadt have secured three points in a game. The last time was in October of last year when the Lilies beat Werder Bremen 4-2 on Matchday 6 and the following eleven league games did not produce a single win for the newly promoted team now in danger of relegation – no other Bundesliga team has gone so long without a victory. Darmstadt, who have seen four red cards in the league this season, are currently bottom of the table on eleven points. Mainz 05 are above them level on points and FC Köln have one point more in sixteenth. Further news on today's opposition can be found in the lowdown on our next opponents.
1,700 Werkself fans will be supporting the team in Darmstadt. The Bayer 04 fan liaison team has put together all the key information on the away game as usual. The fan information is HERE.
he German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Tobias Reichel as today's referee. The 38-year-old has been in charge of five Werkself games to date including the 4-0 win against Schalke 04 in October 2022 with head coach Xabi Alonso in the Werkself dugout for the first time. Reichel’s assistants today are Marco Achmüller and Christian Bandurski and the VAR is Johann Pfeifer.
As usual, Werkself Radio is available for anybody unable to be at today's game. The audio broadcast begins 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann and co-commentator Mario Bast, who has stepped in for Cedric Pick who is ill. In addition, the live text update service will keep you up-to-date to ensure you don't miss any of the key match action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
Whether it's sport or his private live: Captain Edmond Tapsoba tells us his top three personal favourites in twelve categories in edition #56 of the Werkself Magazine. The defender had to answer as quickly as he reacts on the pitch. 'On the Podium' with Edmond Tapsoba!
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“Year after year, this is an incredibly valuable gathering, both in terms of the content covered and the opportunity for mutual discussion,” stressed Bayer 04 goalkeeping coach David Thiel in his welcoming address at this year’s goalkeeping coaches’ meeting. This was the third time in four seasons that the event had been held at the BayArena. Organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the meeting brought together goalkeeping coaches from the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and the 3rd division from the west region. For the first time this year, goalkeeping coaches from the youth performance centres (NLZ) were also present. Bayer 04 fitness coach Markus Müller provided fascinating insights into the specific fitness training carried out with the Werkself’s goalkeepers.
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A floodlit derby, two further night games and a top-of-the-table clash on a Saturday afternoon: The German Football Association (DFB) has confirmed the exact dates for four further matchdays in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. This means all fixtures for the Bayer 04 women’s team up to the end of the year, as well as the first two in 2027, are now confirmed.
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It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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Several Werkself players are set to represent their national teams during the final international break of 2026. Here’s an overview of who has been called up and the matches they will face in November. This article will be updated regularly.
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