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.
Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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In the final international break in the current 2025/26 campaign, Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick with Czechia will be battling for a place at the World Cup. Meanwhile, national teams that have already qualified, include other Werkself players called up, are involved in friendlies in the build-up to the World Cup. Read on for an overview of the Leverkusen internationals and their match dates.
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The Werkself kicked off the final international break of the current season on Monday morning with the first of three open training sessions this week. While eleven Bayer 04 players will be away on international duty in the coming days, the other players will be working together in Leverkusen. The next challenge in the Bundesliga awaits on Saturday, 4 April (kick-off: 15:30 CEST) with the home game against VfL Wolfsburg.
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