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.
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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On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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Bayer 04 are away to third-division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw on Saturday night, 6 June, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The Werkself first round tie will be played between 21 and 24 August. The exact date has yet to be finalised.
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