Xabi Alonso made one change to the team that started the weekend’s 4-1 win at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, with Jeremie Frimpong replacing Nathan Tella on the right wing. Cheered on by 2,600 travelling fans, the Werkself made a perfect start at De Kuip as Wirtz collected the ball following a high turnover from Robert Andrich, drove forward and then picked out the bottom right corner from a central position to mark his Champions League debut with his first goal after only five minutes. The hosts thought they’d equalised only four minutes later, but Ramiz Zerrouki’s effort was ruled out for offside.
There was a lack of notable chances for a while after that until Victor Boniface fired wide on 27 minutes. It was merely a warning shot, though, as he soon found Frimpong on the right, whose flat cross across the face of goal picked out Grimaldo to double the lead on the half-hour mark. The Werkself attacking machine started to really click into gear now and produced a third goal only six minutes later when Frimpong’s lofted ball towards the far post was met on the volley by Wirtz to bag his brace. There was still time for one more before the break as Edmond Tapsoba headed down a deep Grimaldo free-kick, which Feyenoord goalkeeper Wellenreuther could only put into his own net for a 4-0 Leverkusen lead inside 45 minutes.
The first notable move of the second half saw Lukas Hradecky deny Quinten Timber before the Finn produced another stop from In-beom Hwang’s free-kick. With 71 minutes on the clock, Alonso introduced fellow Spaniard Aleix Garcia for his Champions League debut. The midfielder could only watch as Ayase Ueda found the back of the net just moments later, but again the goal was ruled out for offside. Jeanuel Belocian was then given his debut in Europe’s top club competition as well when brought on for Grimaldo in the final 10 minutes as Bayer 04 opened their Champions League account for the season with three points.
The Werkself are back in action again on Sunday as they host Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga at 3.30pm CEST. The following Saturday sees the trip to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich.
Match stats:
Feyenoord: Wellenreuther - Lotomba (Hadj Moussa 60'), Trauner (Mitchell 71'), Beelen, Hancko - Hwang, Zerrouki (Smal 46'), Timber - Milambo (Nadje 74'), Gimenez, Paixao (Ueda 60')
Bayer 04: Hradecky - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie - Frimpong, Xhaka (Palacios 80'), Andrich, Grimaldo (Belocian 80') - Terrier (Adli 71'), Wirtz (Garcia 71') - Boniface (Schick 61')
Goals: 0-1 Wirtz (5'), 0-2 Grimaldo (30'), 0-3 Wirtz (36'), 0-4 Wellenreuther (og, 45')
Yellow cards: Trauner
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy)
Attendance: 45,000 at De Kuip
Bayer 04 and Olympiacos had only met twice before the current UEFA Champions campaign. After the encounter on Matchday 7 of this season’s league phase, the Werkself travel to face the Greek side for the second time in just four weeks for the knockout play-off first leg. The Black and Reds were dominant for large spells in mid-January but lost 2-0 after missing a number of presentable chances. The Werkself aim to do better on Wednesday night to “seize the chance for revenge,” as managing director sport Simon Rolfes put it. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
Show more
A bitter end to the fifth showdown of the 2025/26 VBL Club Championship as the #B04eSports team failed to take any points in the three remaining matches of the preliminary online round of the fifth and final showdown, missing out on the offline round. They can no longer take points in the overall table. Bayer 04 slipped out on the top eight, so direct participation in the final event for the German Club Championship is no longer possible, with Bayer 04 having to contest the play-offs.
Show more
A rematch in Athens: On Wednesday, 18 February (kick-off: 21:00 CET), the Werkself face Greek double winners Olympiacos for the second time this season at the Karaiskakis Stadium. After the encounter in the league phase, it's now time for the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-offs. Ahead of the game, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about how his side will approach the clash, while captain Robert Andrich explained how the team will try to dampen the atmosphere in the stadium tomorrow.
Show more
With the much-celebrated 2-1 derby win against 1. FC Köln, the Bayer 04 Women underlined their credentials as one of the top teams in the Bundesliga. Anyone wishing to support the Werkself in the stadium in the race for third place can now purchase tickets for the home match against FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Tickets are also still available for the upcoming clash against TSG Hoffenheim at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Sunday, 22 February. The latest information at a glance.
Show more
Let's give it our all one more time! Today, Tuesday 17 February (live on the VBL Twitch channel from 18:00 CET), the #B04eSports team play the remaining three preliminary round matches of the fifth and final showdown of the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. The Leverkusen console pros go up against 1. FC Nürnberg, 1. FC Magdeburg and Bayern Munich, aiming to secure their place in the offline knockout round and pick up valuable points for the overall table and the battle to get into the final event for the German Club Championship. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show more
