"Obviously" the Werkself have gained a lot of confidence from the 5-2 away win at Borussia Dortmund. The team under Gerardo Seoane have picked up ten out of a possible twelve points since the start of the year. Now the team from Swabia in seventeenth place are away to the side with the best record in the second half of the season. "We face a different opponent with a different starting point," declared Seoane.
VfB Stuttgart are "selling themselves short at the moment. They have very fast forwards and solid defenders who are always capable of scoring a headed goal," added the Swiss coach. The proof: The best VfB goalscorer in the current season is central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos (four goals) and next, with one strike less, is the winter signing from Hertha Berlin Marc-Oliver Kempf – also a defender.
In terms of personnel, Seoane had good and bad news at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. The good news: Goalkeeper and captain Lukas Hradecky is "healthy and in good shape" after his Covid-19 infection and is no longer in self-isolation. With the exception of Tuesday, the Finnish keeper has taken part in all the training sessions this week.
In contrast, Africa Cup of Nations returnee Odilon Kossounou is ruled out as are Julian Baumgartlinger and winter signing Sardar Azmoun (both in rehab training). After 20 minutes against Borussia Dortmund, the Ivory Coast international suffered a muscle injury in training this week. Seoane estimates the central defender will be out of action for a week
VfB Stuttgart visit the BayArena as a 'favourite opponent' for the Werkself: Only one of the previous 19 Bundesliga fixtures against the Swabians has ended in defeat (14 wins, 4 draws). These are stats Seoane is aware of but does not consider any further. The 43-year-old boss: "That's a statistic I've seen but it has no influence on preparations for the game." Instead the Swiss coach has set himself a target of keeping up the pressure and tension within the team – to secure the next three points in 2022 in the best case scenario. That would be victory number 04 on the bounce.
Contribute to a good cause and win something special! The Bayer 04 jersey competition is entering its third round: From 10 October and up to and including 29 November, raffle tickets can be purchased for five euros each at the Fanwelt on the south side of the BayArena for the chance to win one of two signed away jerseys. The proceeds from the raffle will be donated to Tafel Leverkusen e.V. as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations.
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Heads up, girls! Do you dream of wearing the Bayer Cross on your chest? To play in black and red like your role models Carlotta Wamser, Kristin Kögel, Friederike Repohl and Co. from the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga? Then take your chance now. Our female youth teams are once again on the lookout for new talent. That's why Bayer 04 is organising trials for female junior players on 26 October 2025 for the second time this year.
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A strong and successful partnership that will be continued: Bayer 04 and Energieversorgung Leverkusen GmbH & Co. KG (EVL) have extended their contract for energy supply and related services until 30 June 2027. As part of this, EVL will continue to hold the naming rights to the family section at the BayArena.
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Just over a year after Bayer 04 Leverkusen fans in the New York City area crowded into a beer garden in Brooklyn to celebrate Die Werkself with an early season Bundesliga win, another enthusiastic crowd dressed in black and red gathered at The Banshee pub in Boston on Saturday morning to watch the boys take down 1. FC Union Berlin, 2-0, on Matchday 6.
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