The Werkself are currently top of the Bundesliga with nine points and lead the table for the first time since matchday 12 in the 2020/21 season. Bayern Munich are second also on nine points. The two sides are the only teams to start with three wins in the first three matchdays this term. The first time the Werkself achieved that was 20 years ago in the 2003/04 season and that was repeated ten years ago in the 2013/14 season. Four wins on the bounce at the start of the season would be a new club record.
Bayer 04 and FC Bayern both have the strongest finishers in the league. The Werkself player Victor Boniface currently has 21 attempts on goal and the FC Bayern forward Harry Kane has 14 attempts. Boniface is also currently the top scorer and provider in the Bundesliga with six goal involvements.
There have been a number of changes in personnel at the record champions: Sadio Mané, Lucas Hernandez, Benjamin Pavard, Marcel Sabitzer, Yann Sommer, Ryan Gravenberch and several other players have left FCB. In addition, Josip Stanisic has joined the Werkself on a year-long loan. FC Bayern have had fewer new signings but have made a record transfer acquisition: Harry Kane joined from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. The England captain has scored three goals and provided one assist. FCB have strengthened their defence with the acquisition of the South Korean Min-Jae Kim plus Konrad Laimer and Raphael Guerreiro have also added to the squad. Further information on FC Bayern is available in the lowdown on our next opponents.
The team under head coach Xabi Alonso can look forward to the support of 5,000 Leverkusen fans in the away section at the Allianz Arena in the Bavarian state capital.
The German Football Association (DFB) have appointed Daniel Schlager as the match referee. This will be the seventh fixture for the 33-year-old involving the Werkself (four wins, one draw, two defeats). He will be assisted by Sven Waschitzki-Günther and Arno Blos. Dr. Matthias Jöllenbeck is the VAR official.
The German Football League (DFL) has called for a minutes silence before kick-off for the victims of the disasters in Morocco and Libya.
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 events in the match against FC Bayern. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app – just log on.
Newly promoted SV 07 Elversberg will begin the 2026/27 season as Bundesliga club number 59. The Saarland club start their first Bundesliga campaign at home to the Werkself on Saturday, 29 August (kick-off 15:30 CEST) at the URSAPHARM Arena on Kaiserlinde, which is currently being rebuilt. For one Leverkusen player in the ‘Elv’ line-up, the clash will be a special reunion. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The fixture details for the Bayer 04 Women’s first match in the 2026/27 DFB Pokal has been confirmed: As announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Thursday morning, the Leverkusen Women will face second-tier side FC Viktoria Berlin in the first round on Sunday 27 September at 14:00 CEST.
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Once again, well over 100 Werkself fans were delighted to receive an invitation from the club’s record appearance-maker, Rüdiger Vollborn, to the sold-out Schwadbud at the BayArena. This time, the supporters listened as the club historian provided fascinating, exclusive insights into the period from Bayer 04 being founded in 1904 to the club’s promotion to the Bundesliga in 1979. A journey through time is also planned for the upcoming ‘Rudi lädt ein’ event in early November – this time focusing on the years of the Nazi regime.
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Getting in the mood for the new season together, exchanging ideas and looking ahead to the coming months: Bayer 04 welcomed partners to the BayArena for the annual sponsors season-launch event. In a relaxed atmosphere, the management, head coach and players came together with representatives from partner companies to celebrate the start of the 2026/27 season.
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