The Round of 16 – That was the target for Bayer 04 at the start of the campaign and it could be achieved with a game to play. That will happen if the Werkself win at CSKA Moscow and Tottenham fail to pick up more than one point in the other group match at AS Monaco (20.45 CET). A draw would see head coach Roger Schmidt and his team go through to the knock-out rounds if Tottenham lose in Monaco. The simplest formula for this conundrum: One point more than Tottenham will do. The Werkself will only find out after landing at Cologne/Bonn Airport as the plane with the Bayer 04 squad on board will be on the way home when the match in Monaco finishes.
CSKA have to win
Of course, the initial focus is on the Bayer 04 display at the impressive CSKA Arena. And the match promises much in terms of excitement as the the Russian champions from the capital are fighting for survival in the Champions League and that means they definitely need to win. Otherwise, the team coached by Leonard Sluzki, with just two points from four games, will be out of the competition
Incredible record
There is the chance of setting one dismal record right. CSKA have not kept a clean sheet in an unbelievable 26 games in the Champions League and that is the longest such run since the competition was founded. The keeper and club stalwart Igor Akinfeev has not kept a clean sheet in 37 matches. Since 2006 he has conceded at least one goal in every match in Europe’s elite club competition.
Extend the club record
Bayer 04 have also set a record recently but a positive one. The Werkself have not lost any of their last six Champions League games – the longest run in eleven seasons in the competition for Leverkusen. Bayer 04 are also unbeaten after the opening four group matches for the first time and they are with a good chance of being in the competition in the new year.
Live info on the LIVE App
Anybody wanting to follow the game on the move due to the unusually early kick-off can download the Bayer 04 Live App. Ahead of the game, the latest information on the two teams such as the line-ups and formation is available as is the live ticker with all the key match information during the match – live from the CSKA Arena.
Download at: bit.ly/b04live
All the news from Moscow
Using the hashtag #CSKAB04 fans can follow all the information and stories on the Werkself trip to Moscow on the social media Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. It’s worth logging on before kick-off.
Group E table
1. AS Monaco (8 pts)
2. Bayer 04 (6 pts)
3. Tottenham (4 pts)
4.CSKA Moscow (2 pts)
Info for our supporters in Moscow: Bayer 04 have arranged for coaches to take Werkself fans from the CSKA Arena to the city centre after the game to enable them to continue their homeward journey from there safely. There will be a tour guide on every coach to provide travel information for onward journeys.
The Bayer 04 women’s team secured a win in the friendly during the international break. Without a total of eight international players, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team defeated Bundesliga 2 side Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1 at the Kurtekotten Training Centre, thanks to goals from Lobke Loonen (1’, penalty), Caroline Kehrer (41') and Valentina Mädl (66').
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Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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During the first international break of the 2026/27 season, set to last just under three weeks, nine Bayer 04 first-team players are in action with their respective national teams. Read on for updates on matches featuring Werkself players…
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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