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.
Issa Traoré is moving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Slovakian top-flight side AS Trencin. The club has loaned the centre-back out for one year to this year’s ninth-placed team in the Slovakian league.
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Assistant coach Remzi Kahraman is leaving the Bayer 04 Women’s team with immediate effect to take up a new challenge abroad. The club has agreed to the 31-year-old’s request to leave, although his contract was originally due to run until 2027. A decision on his successor will be announced shortly.
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At the U19 European Championship in Wales, the Germany U19 national team lost their third and final group match 4-0 to Spain. Several regulars, including Bayer 04 players Montrell Culbreath and Francis Onyeka (on loan to SV Elversberg), who had combined for four goals and assists in the two previous victories, did not feature,. Germany had already secured their place in the semi-finals with a game to spare.
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Two weeks into the preseason, the Bayer 04 Women have secured their first victory. Coach Roberto Pätzold’s team won their first friendly 2–0 against Bundesliga newcomers Mainz 05. In front of 160 spectators at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, the two summer signings, Maja Sternad (80’) and Justine Brandau (90’), scored for the Black and Reds.
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