As ever, there’s exciting facts and figures on the clash between Leverkusen and Mainz in the matchday Werkself LIVE flyer. The special feature of the new publication is that you have everything you need to know about the match on one page, and on the other there’s a poster of our teenage sensation Florian Wirtz. So, you’re best set for the game at the BayArena. Click HERE for the ePaper (in German).
The DFB has appointed Bastian Dankert to referee the game against Mainz. He’s assisted by Rene Rohde and Marcel Unger, with Harm Osmers acting as VAR. The 41-year-old from Rostock oversaw last season’s game away at Mainz, with Lucas Alario scoring the only goal of the day.
While spectators should never arrive late at the BayArena when the Werkself are in action, that’s especially the case this Saturday. Seven of the 15 goals Gerardo Seoane’s side have scored in the league this season have come in the opening quarter of an hour.
That total is a new record in the Bundesliga, and Seoane has said he wants to build on that against the 05ers: “It’ll be about being active from the first minute.”
Ze Elias came to the BayArena in summer 1996 from Brazilian side Corinthians and was part of the Leverkusen squad that finished runners-up in the league. The midfielder played 23 times under new coach Christoph Daum. After a year with the Werkself, Elias moved on to Inter Milan. Today is his 45th birthday, so happy birthday!
Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen has gained a new partner in digital gaming platform Crown Coins, which joins the Bundesliga runners-up's Sponsors Club with immediate effect. The one-and-a-half-year contract runs until 30 June 2027.
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The Werkself host VfB Stuttgart this evening (10 January, 18:30 CET), a side whose recent Bundesliga form has been indifferent but who have regularly produced top performances in the DFB Pokal and UEFA Europa League, and who have a key player back in the squad in striker Ermedin Demirovic. Off the pitch, the BayArena faithful will be able to see the remaining stoppage time live on the video screens. The Matchday News.
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The Werkself face a tough challenge in the first game of 2026 when VfB Stuttgart visit the BayArena on Saturday, 10 January (kick-off: 18:30 CET). Ahead of the top-of-the-table clash, Kasper Hjulmand spoke about his impressions of training this week, anticipation of the start of the new calendar year and the personnel situation.
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