A Leverkusen victory in Cologne would equal the longest winning run in this fixture: between 2004 and 2009, the Werkself also beat their Rhine rivals six times in a row. On their last visit to the cathedral city, Patrik Schick earned his side three points with a brace. The Czech has already hit the net seven times in eight matchdays of the current campaign - only Patrick Helmes in 2008/09 has ever scored more goals at this stage of the season for Bayer 04 (8).
Köln's main creator is Linton Maina, with four assists in all competitions this season. Together with Said El Mala, he's particularly dangerous in transitions when there's space in behind the defence. The 5-0 win over 1. FC Union Berlin in the DFB Pokal, in which the pair registered five goal involvements between them, showed how deadly the duo can be. The Köln attack could also be boosted by the return of striker Ragnar Ache, who is set to return to the squad following injury. The fact that the Billy Goats have only lost one of their last five competitive games is equally, if not more due to their solid defence. Read more about what the Werkself can expect on the other side of the Rhine in our comprehensive opposition profile.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 2-0 win against Hamburger SV on Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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After back-to-back away defeats, Bayer 04 Women now face their penultimate home fixture of 2026 as they welcome Hamburg to the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion on Saturday (14:00 CET) seeking three important points in the Google Pixel Bundesliga.
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It was a UEFA Europa League fixture that came down to fine margins as Bayer 04 ultimately ended up on the wrong side of a one-goal game at home to Marseille on Thursday – the Werkself’s first loss of the European campaign. However, Leverkusen are still well on track to reach the knockout rounds with nine points on the board at the league phase’s halfway stage. Still, Carles Martínez and his team want to learn from the loss heading into Sunday’s Bundesliga derby at Köln.
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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 what matches they will face in November. This article will be updated regularly.
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