Dates confirmed for Werkself’s games in 2025/26 UEFA Champions League’s league phase

Bayer 04 fixture list:

Matchday 1

Copenhagen vs. Bayer 04
Thursday, 18 September, 6.45pm CEST

Matchday 2

Bayer 04 vs. PSV Eindhoven
Wednesday, 1 October, 9pm CEST

Matchday 3

Bayer 04 vs. Paris Saint-Germain
Tuesday, 21 October, 9pm CEST

Matchday 4

Benfica vs. Bayer 04 
Wednesday, 5 November, 9pm CET

Matchday 5

Manchester City vs. Bayer 04
Tuesday, 25 November, 9pm CET

Matchday 6

Bayer 04 vs. Newcastle United
Wednesday, 10 December, 9pm CET

Matchday 7

Olympiacos vs. Bayer 04
Tuesday, 20 January 2026, 9pm CET

Matchday 8

Bayer 04 vs. Villarreal
Wednesday, 28 January 2026, 9pm CET

Key dates for 2025/26:

• Knockout play-offs: 17/18 and 24/25 February 2026
• Round of 16: 10/11 and 17/18 March 2026
• Quarter-finals: 7/8 and 14/15 April 2026
• Semi-finals: 28/29 April and 5/6 May 2026
• Final: 30 May 2026 in Budapest

Rolfes: "the target is clear: reaching the round of 16"

Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, and Simon Rolfes, managing director sport at Bayer 04, spoke after the draw. Carro: “We are very happy with our opponents, we look forward to great European nights at the BayArena, particularly the game against PSG. For our fans the away trips such as the one to Manchester City will also be a very special experience. And we feel proud that we are able to present ourselves in this international context. We are also very much looking forward to the reunion with Peter Bosz in Leverkusen. We go into these games with great anticipation and we want to reach the Round of 16."

Rolfes said: “I'm very much looking forward to the new Champions League campaign. We have been drawn against great opponents in the league phase and we want to show the whole of Europe as we did last year what the qualities of Bayer 04 Leverkusen are and that we are a force to be reckoned with. Of course, we face two really big clubs in world football in PSG and Manchester City. But the matches against Benfica and Newcastle United also promise to be great football nights both away as well as at the BayArena. The target is clear: Reaching the Round of 16."

Preliminary ticket information:

Champions League tickets will be exclusively available to Bayer 04 club members. Detailed information on ticket allocation for the individual matches will follow on Monday, 1 September on the club’s media channels. Newsletter subscribers will receive all the information on the start of ticket sales in advance. Click HERE to subscribe.

Further explanation of the 2025/26 Champions League format can be found HERE to read again.