Head coach Kasper Hjulmand made three changes to the starting XI from the 4-1 defeat to VfB Stuttgart. Loïc Badé was preferred to Jeanuel Belocian in defence, while Ernest Poku and Patrik Schick were recalled to the attack in place of Nathan Tella and Martin Terrier.
The early stages in the Kraichgau were lacking in chances, with both sides defending diligently. It was TSG who showed ruthless efficiency to take the lead, when Wouter Burger curled a delightful free kick from the right side into the corner (9'). Mark Flekken, who was powerless to prevent the goal, showed all his class shortly after when he twice saved from Fisnik Asllani (12', 15'). Leverkusen grew into the game after that and had their first chance through Malik Tillman (24'), but on the whole there weren't many openings for the Werkself in the first half and TSG took the narrow lead into the break.
Hjulmand introduced Africa Cup returnees Ibrahim Maza and Christian Kofane for Ezequiel Fernández and Arthur at the start of the second period, and the tempo of the game immediately picked up. The Werkself were well in it but then had to change goalkeeper after around an hour, with Flekken injuring himself while making a save. Janis Blaswich came on for his competitive debut for Bayer 04 - and witnessed Leverkusen's best chance shortly after. Once again Alejandro Grimaldo let rip with a free kick, which Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann was just about able to parry, with Schick then firing over on the rebound (68').
Ten minutes later, Blaswich also got to show what he can do from Tim Lemperle's effort. After another injury blow - Tella was forced off shortly after his introduction - Bayer 04 launched a late surge. But after Schick's next attempt was blocked and Tella's replacement Jonas Hofmann sent a long-range shot over the target in added time, it ended in a 1-0 defeat on the road for the Werkself.
Bayer 04 are back in action already on Tuesday 20 January, when they visit Greek champions Olympiacos on Matchday 7 of the UEFA Champions League. Kick-off is at 21:00 CET. Werkself fans can then look forward to another home fixture, with SV Werder Bremen visiting the BayArena on Saturday 24 January (kick-off 15:30 CET) as part of Bundesliga Matchday 19.
Match stats:
TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann - Coufal, Hranac, Hajdari, Bernardo - Avdullahu, Burger, Prass (Gendrey 79'), Kramaric (Moerstedt 79') - Lemperle (Bebou 90'), Asllani (Prömel 69')
Bayer 04: Flekken (Blaswich 59') - Andrich, Badé, Quansah - Arthur (Kofane 46'), Fernández (Maza 46'), Garcia, Grimaldo - Tillman, Poku (Tella 74', Hofmann 81') - Schick
Goals: 1-0 Burger (9')
Yellow cards: Burger, Hranac / Quansah
Referee: Daniel Schlager (Gernsbach)
Attendance: 26,957 at the PreZero Arena
Trophies as a youth, appearances in the pro game and his first taste of international competition: new arrival Luca Erlein, who has been signed from TSG Hoffenheim, can already look back on some remarkable achievements and moments in his fledgling career. We take a closer look at the 19-year-old right-back, who can also fill other roles across the defensive line.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has a new coffee partner. The club has agreed a long-term partnership with the Bocholt-based roastery Imping, running to 30 June 2031. The exclusive partnership with the family-run business includes the installation of fully automatic coffee machines at the BayArena, as well as the right to supply and serve coffee products in the business areas during Werkself home games.
Show more
Plenty going on both on and off the pitch: The Bayer 04 fan support team has organised a number of highlights for fans visiting the Werkself 2026/27 summer training camp in Blankenhain, in the Weimarer Land region. Registration for the events is now open. All the details at a glance.
Show more
The Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team and s2-Software are continuing their long-term partnership: The Werkself and the provider of pre-owned Microsoft licences have extended their contract by two years to 2028. This means s2-Software will remain the Bayer 04 sleeve sponsor for all matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga.
Show more
BIOGENA is the new performance partner for the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team. Under a partnership initially set to run for three years, the club and the leading Austrian micronutrient company are pooling their expertise in the areas of health, fitness and top-level performance.
Show more
