Bayer 04 and Darmstadt 98 have previously faced each other seven times. The Werkself came out on top in five matches with the Lilies winning twice. The last fixtures in the Bundesliga were in 2016/17 with Bayer 04 winning both games (3-2, 2-0).
A win against Darmstadt would continue the successful start to the season: The first two Bundesliga games have been one for the first time in four years. There have twice been three victories at the start of a campaign: In 2013/14 and 2003/04.
The visitors from Darmstadt have had a disappointing start of the season with two defeats – that did not happen in their first four seasons in the Bundesliga. Over seasons, the Lilies have lost their last four games – the longest run of defeats since January 2021.
Bayer 04 staging the Bayer Sports Family matchday for the first time at the home game against Darmstadt 98. With this event and many others, the historic connection linking Bayer 04, TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Bayer AG is being revived under the Cross. The programme of the matchday starts with the stadium opening at 13.30 CEST and there will be a wide variety of highlights on the concourse at the BayArena.
A special experience awaits for a large number of TSV young athletes. The Bayer sports clubs will provide all the player escorts, banner and flagbearers on the home matchday against Darmstadt. They will all wear their own club kits as they come into the stadium thereby representing a large number of different sports including boxing, fencing, judo and athletics. The main and shirt sponsor Barmenia is foregoing the addition of the Barmenia name. Many thanks for this generous gesture. Further information on the Bayer Sports Family matchday programme is available HERE.
The new season also brings changes in the catering offer at the BayArena. A Veggie Corner is a new food option in the north-east side of the stadium. Here you can buy vegan Bratwurst, vegan Currywurst and ‘No chicken nuggets’. There is also the Kids menu for the youngest Bayer 04 fans. Drop by! Further information and prices are available HERE.
With rail cancellations at Leverkusen Mitte station there will again be challenges with travel to and from the game. Information on replacement buses is published and constantly updated on the Deutsche Bahn website.
Anyone wanting to read key information before the game should take a look at the new Werkself Live. The matchday programme, offering in compact form the most important facts and stats on the game, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively it is available free online. Click HERE for the e-paper.
SV Darmstadt 98 have lost all three of their first games in the new season. The unexpected 3-0 defeat in the first round of the DFB-Pokal away to fourth tier FC Homburg was particularly painful. "For the first time in my two years at the Lilies I have to say: We can only apologise to our fans for this performance and going out of the cup," declared coach Torsten Lieberknecht. His team did lose the first two Bundesliga matches away to Eintracht Frankfurt (0-1) and at home to Union Berlin (1-4) but Darmstadt looked completely different in those games. Further information on the newly promoted club is available in our lowdown on the next opponents.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Sven Jablonski as the referee for today's game. For the 33-year-old match official this will be his twelfth game involving the Werkself (seven wins, one draw, three defeats). Jablonski's assistant referees are Sascha Thielert and Marcel Unger with Harm Osmers in action as 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 Cedric Pick and Niko Hartmann. 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 – just log on.
The dress rehearsal in the Premier League for the match against the Werkself did not go well at the weekend. However, Manchester City are still unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League, the competition they won in 2023. In the first encounter with Bayer 04 this Tuesday, 25 November (kick-off: 21:00 CET), coach Pep Guardiola will be able to field just about his best line-up. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Will the Bayer 04 U19s take the next step towards their first appearance in the knockout stage of the UEFA Youth League in the away game at Manchester City? Coach Kevin Brok is well aware of this historic opportunity, but he's not about to start worrying about the maths: "We're not concerned with the question of what might be good enough. We invest everything we can and always aim for the maximum. That's our way." The game on this penultimate Matchday 5 of the league phase takes place on Tuesday, 25 November (kick-off: 16:00 CET) at the Manchester City Academy Stadium. Werkself TV will be broadcasting the whole match exclusively for Bayer 04 club members live from 15:50 CET....
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€1,000 and food for a good cause: In keeping with the long-standing cooperation between Bayer 04 and the Tafel Leverkusen e.V. food bank, the U19s are also supporting the charitable organisation in the region. In addition to the generous cheque the team were able to donate to an organisation of their choice as a result of their participation in the UEFA Youth League, coach Kevin Brok's lads donated €500 worth of food - financed by their own team kitty. Ferdinand Pohl, Jesper Schlich and Co. also actively helped to stow the food in the Tafel's premises.
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Bayer 04's impressive run of form has not been affected by the international break: The Werkself followed up their 6-0 victory over Heidenheim with a 3-1 win at VfL Wolfsburg that sees them move up into a Champions League spot in the Bundesliga for the first time this season. In the first half, it was an outstandingly cool and consistent performance by the team under head coach Kasper Hjulmand, who earned a special record at Bayer 04 on Saturday. Find out all about the win at the Volkswagen Arena in the Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 3-1 win at VfL Wolfsburg on the 11th matchday of the Bundesliga 2025/26...
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