Heidenheim are making history: The team under head coach Frank Schmidt are in the Bundesliga for the first time this season. Bayer 04 and FC Heidenheim meet for the second time in a competitive match. The only previous encounter was in the Round of 16 in the DFB Pokal in 2018/19.
Leverkusen have also achieved something special: The Werkself have made their best start to the season in 14 years with ten points from the first four Bundesliga fixtures. Back in 2009/10, the Black and Reds also picked up ten points, which was more than ever before.
For the game on Sunday, Bayer 04 have again organised a traditional family matchday under the motto "Together under the Cross", presented by main sponsor Barmenia. Werkself fans can enjoy family friendly offers and a wide-ranging programme with games and entertainment in and around the BayArena.
Work on the track between Düsseldorf and Cologne continues.With rail cancellations at Leverkusen Mitte station there will again be challenges with travel to and from the game. The trains on the regional and long-distance routes will run again on Sunday evening (21.00 CEST) and the S-Bahn on Monday 25 September (04.30 CEST). Information on replacement buses is published and constantly updated on the Deutsche Bahn website.
Former Bayer 04 player Jorginho will be at today's game. The Brazilian played for the Werkself from 1989 to 1992 making 101 appearances. The 1994 World Cup winner will watch the match against the newly promoted club together with the Bayer 04 Veterans team.
The newly promoted club from Baden-Württemberg has impressed in their first four matches in the Bundesliga with the right mentality combined with a battling approach and high work rate. The Schmidt team have certainly made an impression in their last two matches: Heidenheim beat Werder Bremen 4-2 – clocking up the first Bundesliga victory in the club's history – and they also picked up a point away to Borussia Dortmund coming back from being 2-0 down. The four points put the Bundesliga newcomers eleventh in the table. Further information can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
Anyone wanting to read key information before the game should take a look at the new Werkself Live. The matchday programme, offering the most important facts and stats on the game in compact form, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively it is available free online. Click HERE for the e-paper.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed the experienced referee Christian Dingert for the game against Heidenheim. This will be match number fifteen involving the Werkself for the 43-year-old match official. Dingert's assistants are Benedikt Kempkes and Nikolai Kimmeyer with Günter Perl in action is the VAR.
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 Cedric Pick. 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.
Former Bundesliga and Germany keeper Manfred Manglitz, who was promoted to the Oberliga West with Bayer 04 in 1962, passed away on Monday at the age of 86.
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Justine Brandau and Lobke Loonen joined the Bayer 04 Women’s squad in quick succession this summer. The two Dutch players have been friends since their youth days, and are now playing for the same club for the first time. In an interview at the training camp in Rieden, Brandau and Loonen talk, amongst other things, about their experiences as opponents in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the dynamic within their new team and their first few weeks in Leverkusen.
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The Werkself fixture list for the 2026/27 season in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga has been finalised. To kick off the season, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team travel to RB Leipzig between 21 and 24 August. The fixtures were announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Thursday morning. The season will conclude with a home match on 23 May 2027 against newly promoted side Mainz 05.
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On Wednesday evening, Monheim City Council voted against a planning resolution for the Bayer 04 Campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße in Monheim in a secret ballot, with 19 votes in favour, 25 against and one abstention. The legal status of the project therefore remains unchanged.
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