
Now the Werkself can focus completely on the Bundesliga campaign: The Bosz charges have eleven games left this season including electrifying encounters with direct rivals for a European finish from Hoffenheim (29 March, 20.30 CET), Leipzig (6 April, 15.30 CET) and Frankfurt (3 to 6 May, to be confirmed). There are 33 points up for grabs – and, ideally, Peter Bosz would like to take the complete haul as he declared after the Dortmund game. Saturday sees the start with a home game against FC Freiburg kicking off at 15.30 CET.
Wednesday morning saw the start of preparations for the game against the team lying thirteenth in the table who are currently unbeaten in four games. In a 90-Minute session in springlike sunshine, the focus was on passing, moves, finishing and ended with a practice match. The werkself skipper Lars Bender was again able to train with the team, as he did on Friday, after recovering from a hamstring injury. Karim Bellarabi (hamstring) and Lucas Alario (rested) completed individual workouts in the facilities at the BayArena along with Joel Pohjanpalo who is currently recovering from an ankle injury.
And there was positive news for Panos Retsos. The 20-year-old Greek returned to training alongside his team-mates in a 60-minute session on a neighbouring pitch. That means he could soon return to full training.

After being nominated for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025, Martin Terrier's wonderful strike for the opener against FC Köln is now also up for selection for the ARD Sportschau Goal of the Month award for December 2025. Bayer 04 fans have until 19:00 CET on 10 January to vote for the French forward.
Show more
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show more
"In every ending lies a new beginning" is a well-known saying. This phrase has probably never been more apt at Bayer 04. After winning the Bundesliga in 2023/24 and finishing as runners-up in 2024/25, the summer was the most eventful ever in terms of transfers. Over ten players and the coach, including the coaching staff, left the club. A lot of the heroes of the double-winning side began a new chapter. It was the end of an era. And at the same time the beginning of a new, very exciting and promising chapter for Leverkusen. The Werkself welcomed more than a dozen new arrivals, including experienced title-winners and young talents, to build a new "foundation for a successful team capable of winning titles" under the Bayer Cross, as managing director sport Simon Rolfes put it. A new spirit, a new hunger, a new story was to be created. Bayer04.de looks back at the first few months of this story and the final act of the preseason.
Show more
43 points at the end of the last Bundesliga season were not only more than ever before for the Bayer 04 Women, but also led to a record fourth-place finish. That was followed by a Hinrunde with many more victories, but also some setbacks. In an interview with bayer04.de, sporting director Achim Feifel takes stock at the end of the year.
Show more
With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.
Show more