"There's a huge amount of anticipation," revealed captain Lars Bender at the pre-match press conference ahead of the first Black and Red Champions League match after a 917-day wait for the return to the European stage. The 30-year-old – the second most experienced player in the Bayer 04 squad with 26 Champions League appearances behind his twin brother Sven on 27 – made clear the great importance of starting the competition with a win. "Our primary target is to go through the group stage. My experience tells me you have to win your home games to do that," said the Werkself number eight before quickly adding: "And tomorrow is a home game – we want to get going straightaway with a win."
The most important thing is to forget the 4-0 defeat in the Bundesliga away to runners-up Borussia Dortmund. "I said at the weekend we have to get over that. And look forwards," said Lars Bender. "The Champions League is another competition. There haven't been any games so far so we can approach it with great anticipation," said the Werkself skipper ahead of of the first game against the three-time Russian champions and current domestic cup holders.
Peter Bosz, sitting alongside Lars Bender on the top table, does not see Lokomotiv Moscow as the weakest opponents in the group: "There are no easy opponents in the Champions League. It's our job to beat (Lokomotiv) Moscow tomorrow." To achieve that, his team will have to be able to stand up to a very strong defensive side and make better use of possession, above all, compared with the last two Bundesliga games against Hoffenheim and Dortmund: "We didn't do enough and above all in the final third – we had too few chances and too few shots on goal. We've analysed it and we’ll try to do better tomorrow." Regardless of the disappointing result against BVB, he was able to observe a lot of positives in his analysis. "The players know exactly what they need to do and they know their jobs. At the end of the day, it comes down to the quality we produce," said Bosz.
For the game against the team from the Russian capital, who finished bottom of the group in the previous Champions League campaign behind Porto, Schalke and Galatasaray, the 55-year-old can again call on the services of Kerem Demirbay who missed the match against Dortmund due to personal reasons. After a long injury lay-off, Joel Pohjanpalo returned to full training last week so the Dutchman should have his full squad available for the game against the Russian team. "I'll decide who's in the squad after the final training session."
Match information
Previous results: –
Weather forecast: 14 degrees, overcast
Referee: Pawel Raczkowski (Poland)
TV broadcaster DAZN
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
