Mainz lost top scorer Jonathan Burkardt to injury inside just three minutes, after which Leverkusen took control of proceedings. Exequiel Palacios came within inches of turning Patrik Schick’s goal-bound touch over the line moments later, but the game struggled for flow as the visitors used regular fouls to interrupt play. Aleix Garcia and Piero Hincapie both had further chances for the dominant Werkself, while Mainz carved out their first opportunity after half an hour through Stefan Bell. The deadlock was finally broken just after the restart when Alejandro Grimaldo fired in a free-kick from 20 yards out. The visitors twice came close to responding but found no way through the champions’ defence. You can read more about the game in our match report HERE.
“We had a few chances and then thankfully got the goal. That was hugely important,” said captain for the night Granit Xhaka. “Obviously we wanted to get a second, but we were very compact and solid in defence.”
Head coach Xabi Alonso commented on the game: “We were absolutely ready for a hard fight against a good opponent. We were patient and played with our heads and fought with real humility until the end. It’s a great win. More of the same!” Looking further ahead through this busy spell, the Spaniard added: “It’s a really intense season, and the second half is usually even harder, especially in Europe. So, we’ve got no time to drop our level but need to keep improving our performances.”
kicker wrote in their summary of the night: “Leverkusen had to come through a few nervy moments in added time but on the whole deserved their win. Mainz gave it a real go after going behind but mostly failed to threaten.” Bild wrote: “Bayer stay on Bayern’s heels. Leverkusen make it six straight Bundesliga wins and 10 in all competitions with a lacklustre 1-0 victory over Mainz.” The Rheinische Post ran with the headline “Grimaldo’s brilliant free-kick earns Bayer victory over Mainz”, while the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger called it a “great goal”.
Match-winner Grimaldo made his 50th Bundesliga appearance for Bayer 04, while Xhaka also reached the same milestone in red and black by leading the Werkself out as captain for the first time. Asked about his debut wearing the armband, the Swiss midfielder said: “It’s always an honour to be captain out there, even though there’s obviously a bit of pressure there.” And there was a century of Bundesliga appearances in Leverkusen colours for Hincapie.
Bayer 04 have won each of their last 10 fixtures in all competitions, which is the club’s second-longest run since earning Bundesliga promotion in 1979. The record stands at 14 straight victories from September to November 2023.
On top of that, Grimaldo scored a direct free-kick for the third time in the Bundesliga, which is the most of any player across Europe’s top five leagues since the start of last season.
In terms of the match stats, the Werkself were on top in all regards across shots (20-7), possession (67 percent), challenges won (61 percent) and pass completion (89 vs. 77 percent).
Leverkusen close out the first week of competitive action of 2025 with another home game in the Bundesliga as Borussia Mönchengladbach come to the BayArena on Saturday (6.30pm CET). That is followed by a UEFA Champions League game away at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday and then a Bundesliga trip to RB Leipzig the following Saturday.
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
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A cracker of a Round of 16 tie on a Sunday afternoon: The date has been set for the Bayer 04 women’s team clash with Bayern Munich in the DFB Pokal. As announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Monday morning, the Leverkusen women face the holders on Sunday, 1 November, at 15:00 CET.
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