Ahead of the run-in and the important game against the Royal Blues, who are just three points ahead, Peter Bosz has used the past few quiet days, to enable "several players to wind down so that they are fit and fresh for the next games. We've worked well."
A new pitch has been laid at the BayArena in the last week – that means the Werkself play Schalke on a completely new surface. "We are a team who like to have possession and get forward quickly with few touches of the ball so it’s incredibly important that we have a good pitch. We trained on the new pitch yesterday and first impressions were good," said the head coach.
Another good precondition for the home game is last Saturday’s sensational victory in Munich that still resonates: "The team showed they can only play possession football but also work well against the ball, be quick in transition and very dangerous with the pace shown getting forward," said Bosz. He has been particularly impressed by the battling quality of his team. "We were lucky too – without doubt – but we showed character and mentality. And we also need to show that against Schalke 04. We know it won't be an easy game. But we want to win – particularly at home!"
Schalke 04, of all the current Bundesliga teams, have only collected fewer points against FC Bayern (0.8) than they have against the Werkself (1.1) and are currently third in the table – "if you're at the top after 13 games then you must have done a lot of things right," said the Dutchman who rightly pointed out that Bayer 04 would draw level on points at the weekend with a win. The route to the target is: Play quick passes, manage with a few touches the ball and have good positional play. As "Schalke are a team that plays with aggression and tries to constantly press the ball. We won't have long on the ball."
Bosz has all the players at his disposal who were available for the game against FC Bayern with the exception of the suspended Jonathan Tah. Only Mitchell Weiser and Joel Pohjanpalo are still ruled out through injury.
Match info:
Referee: Harm Osmers
TV broadcaster: Sky
Tickets: Bayer 04 are expecting a capacity crowd at the BayArena
Calling all Werkself fans: Even during the three-week international break – a first for September and October – you have the chance to visit the BayArena – and for a very special occasion. Bayer 04 is hosting a Health Day on Saturday 3 October, from 10:00 to 14:00 CEST in the Premium Lounge. Together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, the Bundesliga club invites you to an interactive, free event centred on the theme of health. Partners will be present on site with their own exciting activities. Here is an overview of the programme of events.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 2-1 win at SC Freiburg on Matchday 5 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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Bayer 04 produced an impressive display from start to finish as they maintained their perfect home record this season with a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig on Bundesliga Matchday 4. Patrik Schick opened the scoring just before half-time, with Miguel Gutiérrez getting his first Werkself goal to wrap up the three points at the BayArena, where fans also got to enjoy the family matchday activities.
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Peter Hermann passed away on Saturday at the age of 74. The entire Bayer 04 family is deeply saddened by the loss of a much-loved figure who helped shape football in Leverkusen over many decades. He was also one of the most respected coaches in the whole of Germany. Hermann had been suffering from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) for some time.
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