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.
Today, Tuesday 16 December (live on B04eSports Twitch channel from 18:00 CET), the Leverkusen eSports players face the final three matches of the online preliminary round of Showdown Three in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. In addition to 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 and SV 07 Elversberg, they will play Fortuna Düsseldorf, who are still unbeaten in this third showdown. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Whether it's the Lions Club, Teens, Bayer 04 Club or Silver Lions - there was a lot going on again this year in all age-specific members' clubs. We look back on an eventful year with numerous events and many exclusive moments with the Werkself. We take a look at what the year 2025 had to offer for the members of the Bayer 04 Club...
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Bayer 04 picked up three points in the last home game of the year with 2-0 win against 1. FC Köln on matchday 14. After a dominant first half with good chances, Martin Terrier, who came on as a substitute in the second half, produced a brilliant scorpion kick to make to 1-0 for the Werkself (66') before captain Robert Andrich rounded off the derby victory with a header six minutes later.
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Bayer 04 host 1. FC Köln at the BayArena in the final home game of 2025 . Today’s match on Saturday, 13 December kicks off at 18:30.30 pm. The Werkself are looking for three points against 1. FC Köln, who are without a win in four games but they do have a shooting star in their ranks up front. The Bayer 04 Volunteering Award will be presented at the derby against the club from Cologne and another fan club will be honoured for many years of loyalty under the Cross. The matchday news.
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