Read on to see how the new coach and the team have dealt with the new campaign.
Position
People are still in shock. The 3-1 defeat against Mainz 05 was not the main subject for discussion on Sunday night but rather the bad foul on Dominik Kohr in added time. The pain caused by the open thigh wound was relieved by the administration of morphine in the dressing room before the former Leverkusen player was transferred to hospital for an immediate operation. No bones were broken but Kohr will be sidelined for weeks. So he will not be able to help clock up a second win of the season. The three points earned to date come from a two-win against bottom of the table Werder Bremen with the opening home fixture ending in a 2-0 defeat against VfL Wolfsburg.
Personnel
Kohr will be ruled out for a while as will Caiuby, known as 'Kai-Uwe' in Augsburg, after undergoing an operation this week. The Brazilian whirlwind is sidelined for months due to a knee injury. His place on the wing has been taken by newcomers Dong-Won Ji and Raúl Bobadilla.
Problems
Both regular central defenders (Hong and Klavan) and two important wingers (Esswein and Tobias Werner) have left FCA. Of their successors only Martin Hinteregger has secured a regular slot in the starting eleven. Gojko Kacar, who was very impressive in pre-season, is out with a back problem, Jonathan Schmid and Takashi Usami are still looking to establish themselves in the team.
Potential
Hopes rest on one man: Dirk Schuster. His arrival is intended to make up for the loss of coach Markus Weinzierl to Schalke 04 and introduce a new era at Augsburg. He showed what he could do with limited means at Darmstadt and a number of players have flourished since his arrival in Augsburg. The best example: Kostas Stafylidis. The former Werkself pro has already scored two excellent goal playing at left back.
Prediction
A project has started in Augsburg: the WWK Arena has a new façade. With its green, white and red LED lighting the stadium serves as a reminder of glow sticks at teenage parties from the outside. However, the president likes it. "It's more attractive than the Allianz Arena," said Klaus Hofman. That is probably the only category where the Bavarian Swabians are on equal terms with their neighbours from Munich. The main aim in Augsburgt is to remain in the top flight. That ambition is to be achieved with a balanced squad in combination with the hard-working and hands-on coach Schuster as well as the reflective general manager Stefan Reuter.
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After eight years in the youth set-up at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Benjamin Adam is leaving the club. The 35-year-old, who most recently coached the Leverkusen U17s, will take charge of the Hansa Rostock U19 team next season.
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There was a successful end to the women's internationals with Werkself players Carlotta Wamser and Cornelia Kramer qualifying for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil. A third Leverkusen player is still in with a chance of joining them. The Germany U23 players also experienced success in their last two international friendlies of the season.
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Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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