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8.10.2023Bundesliga

News in brief ahead of #B04KOE: Derby number 90 is here

It's one game after the next: Three days after the 2-1 away win at the Norwegian champions Molde in the second group match in the UEFA Europa League, the Werkself are back in league action – in the home derby against FC Köln. The fixture on Sunday 8 October (kick-off: 15.30 CEST) will be played in front of a full house at the BayArena. Here are the latest updates on the match.
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#B04KOE – match facts

Leverkusen play FC Köln for the 90th time. The record is slightly in favour of Bayer 04 (34 wins, 30 drawers, 25 defeats).

Moreover: While the Werkself have made the best start to the league in the club's history with 16 points from six games, the team from Cologne are having their worst ever campaign so far in the Bundesliga with just one point from six league games (one draw, five defeats). In addition, the Werkself have the equal best attack in the league with 20 goals scored (Bayern Munich also have 20) while FC Köln along with Mainz and Eintracht Frankfurt have the least effective attack with four goals so far.

rail service restored

Good news for all passengers on the ÖPNV network: Leverkusen Mitte station is back in action after a long period reconstruction. That will again make it easier for Bayer 04 fans to get to and from the stadium. Albeit the station is not accessible for everybody. Alternatively you can travel on S-Bahn 6 from Cologne/Düsseldorf to Chempark and then take a shuttle bus to the BayArena. All buses on this route take wheelchairs.

travel survey at home derby

A survey on fan match travel is being carried out by Bayer 04 in cooperation with RWTH Aachen on Bundesliga matchday seven against FC Köln. The questionnaire is aimed at all spectators at the derby and is being carried out via an online questionnaire in and around the BayArena by students from RWTH. There will also be traffic censuses at different points. The travel survey is aimed at developing measures to make the matchday experience more sustainable. Participation on Sunday would therefore be of great significance for the maximisation of climate friendly travel. The questions are in part aimed at finding out which methods of transport Bayer 04 fans use to watch Werkself games.

FOCUS ON FC

A false start for the team from Cologne: FC Köln are currently bottom of the table with one point right at the other end of the Bundesliga than the Black and Reds. However, the current FC Köln form will not necessarily determine the outcome of matchday seven as derby games often prove to have their own rules. The Werkself with captain Lukas Hradecky will have to be ready for a tight match against a tough opponent who would definitely like to take their first three league points this term against Leverkusen. Further information on FC Köln can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.

Werkself Live

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.

Zwayer is the ref

The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Felix Zwayer as the referee for the clash at the BayArena. The 42-year-old match official has previously been in charge of 30 games involving the Werkself. His assistants are Stefan Lupp and Christian Dietz with Sören Storks in action as the VAR. Have a good game!

Werkself Radio And Live text updates

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.

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