“The match on Saturday night may very well (…) go down as one of the best in this Bundesliga season,” declares the WELT am Sonntag. “Both teams endeavoured to seek salvation in attack.”
The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger holds a similar view. “This wild 4-3 – Bayer took the lead, went behind and finally came out on top – was one of the most entertaining games in the current Bundesliga campaign,” the paper reports. “A gripping drama, great moves, outstanding goals.” The Werkself have thereby laid down “a marker in the battle for the top spots. Furthermore: “That should provide a boost for the forthcoming challenges in the Bundesliga, Europa League and the DFB Cup. Particularly as Leverkusen have rediscovered efficiency after weeks of squandering chances,” was part of the match report. “A win that, in retrospect, could be a real turning point in the season.”
And BILD talks about a “crazy game in Leverkusen” and provides an interesting statistic on double goalscorer Kevin Volland: “The striker has been involved in the opening goal nine times (4 goals, 5 assists) – top performer in the league!”
The EXPRESS refers to the double strike at the end of the game – and clearly cut out the time between the two Werkself goals scored by Leon Bailey and Lars Bender: “Bayer comeback in 80 wild seconds” was the headline of the match report. The newspaper agrees with the songs of praise about the match: “The spectators at Leverkusen were treated to a crazy spectacle! The cracker against BVB – it lived up to its promise.”
Why is analysed at RP Online: “Both the match and the atmosphere for the capacity 30,210 crowd at the BayArena were worthy of being called the top game,” it reports. “Both teams provided an intense encounter on the pitch – with the expectedly large number of attacking moves.”
The online edition of kicker describes the win as a “rousing home win” for the Werkself, “that could not have come at a more important point in time. As these three points put the Rhinelanders back in close touch with the Champions League positions.” Overall, it was a “great night of football.” Werkself supporters would find it hard to deny that.
Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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