Following the 1-0 defeat at Union Berlin, head coach Kasper Hjulmand made five changes to his starting XI for the second leg of the play-off in the Champions League. Jarell Quansah started in central defence in place of the injured Loïc Badé, while Lucas Vázquez took over from Arthur on the right and Exequiel Palacios replaced Ezequiel Fernández in defensive midfield. Up front, Jonas Hofmann made his first UCL appearance of the season in place of Malik Tillman, while Patrik Schick, scorer of the double in the first leg, came into the team for Christian Kofane.
As expected, Olympiacos tried to put Bayer 04 under pressure from the outset by pressing hard. The Black and Reds were not put off as they outplayed the high Greek defence several times in the opening minutes with quick side-to-side moves and, with a little more precision, could have capitalised early on the three opportunities created by Hofmann (4’) and Schick (4’, 6’). As it was, however, the game developed into an evenly-matched affair with the scoreline remaining 0-0. Despite more possession for the Greek side from the middle of the first half onwards, a dogged Werkself managed to keep their opponents away from goal for the most part. As there were also few chances for Bayer 04, the two teams went into the half-time break with no goals scored.
After the restart, it was the visitors who had the first effort on goal in the second half through Gelson Martins - Janis Blaswich made a superb save (47'). His opposite number Kostas Tzolakis would have had no chance a quarter of an hour later of keeping out Alejandro Grimaldo but the Spaniard hit the bar from a tight angle (62') after being put through by substitute Ernest Poku. The Werkself were again disciplined against the fast Greek attack and only conceded shots from distance. Up front it was Robert Andrich who went close in the opposition box with a header over the target (74'). There was jubilation for the Werkself after the final whistle, even without scoring a goal. Thanks to another clean sheet in the UCL - the third in a row - the Black and Reds secured their place in the Champions League Round of 16 for the ninth time.
Attention Bayer 04 fans: Ticket sales for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 home match will start on Tuesday, 3 March at 12:00 CET. Only Bayer 04 Club members will have the chance to buy tickets for this match. Not a member yet? No problem! Become a member now and subscribe to the newsletter to make sure you don't miss any important information on Friday 27 February after the draw for the Round of 16 opponents (Arsenal or Bayern Munich).
First of all, the Black and Reds continue their Bundesliga campaign. On Saturday afternoon at 15:30 CET, the Werkself will once again take to the pitch at the BayArena to face Mainz 05 on matchday 24. The following Wednesday evening, they will play a rearranged fixture from matchday 17 at Hamburger SV. Kick-off at the Volksparkstadion is at 20:30 CET.
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Blaswich - Quansah, Andrich, Tapsoba - Vázquez (Arthur 77’), Palacios (Fernández 72’), Garcia, Grimaldo - Hofmann (Culbreath 72’), Maza (Poku 56’) - Schick
Olympiacos: Tzolakis - Rodinei, Retsos, Pirola, Ortega - Mouzakitis (Scipioni 79’), Hezze, Dani Garcia (Clayton 89’) - Gelson Martins (Onyemaechi 89’), Chiquinho (André Luiz 66’) - Taremi (El Kaabi 66’)
Yellow card: Pirola
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
Attendance: 30,210 (sold out) at the BayArena
After eight years in the youth set-up at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Benjamin Adam is leaving the club. The 35-year-old, who most recently coached the Leverkusen U17s, will take charge of the Hansa Rostock U19 team next season.
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There was a successful end to the women's internationals with Werkself players Carlotta Wamser and Cornelia Kramer qualifying for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil. A third Leverkusen player is still in with a chance of joining them. The Germany U23 players also experienced success in their last two international friendlies of the season.
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Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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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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