Meetings between Bayer 04 and Atletico Madrid have tradition on the big European stage. After tonight's clash, the Werkself will have played more competitive games against the Rojiblancos than against any other team from Spain. In 10 encounters there have been three wins (all at home), four draws and three defeats. There's a more in-depth look back at the previous meetings HERE.
Atletico are unbeaten in 10 Champions League home games against German teams. They've also just won four UCL matches in a row for the first time since November 2016. For their part, the Werkself could keep a fifth clean in this Champions League season - only Liverpool have registered more shutouts so far.
Atletico's impressive winning run of 15 games in all competitions - a club record - came to an end last weekend with a surprise 1-0 defeat at promoted side CD Leganes, which saw Diego Simeone's men knocked off top spot in LaLiga by city rivals Real Madrid. In the Champions League, meanwhile, Antoine Griezmann and Co sit in 11th place in the league phase on 12 points, one point behind fourth-placed Bayer 04. After a 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig to start, there were two defeats at Benfica (4-0) and at home to OSC Lille (3-1) before three successive wins against Paris Saint-Germain (2-1), Sparta Prague (6-0) and Slovan Bratislava (3-1). There's more in our opposition analysis.
Before the Bayer 04 press conference yesterday evening with Xabi Alonso and Alejandro Grimaldo (round-up HERE), Atletico coach Simeone and midfielder Pablo Barrios also had their say on today's match. Simeone said: "Bayer Leverkusen are an extraordinary team. They play very good football with very good tempo, transitions and positional play. The way they play football is admirable."
Meanwhile, Barrios said: "It's going to be a difficult game. We all know Bayer Leverkusen, they'll make it very tough for us. But we'll go out there together and do our best to win."
For all Werkself fans following the game in Madrid, Bayer 04 partner weloveholidays has summarised the best travel tips for the top attractions in the Spanish capital. You can find the article HERE.
The Bayer 04 Fan Liaison team have also put together a guide for the 1,700 Werkself fans who are travelling to the Champions League away match. The fan info is HERE.
UEFA has appointed Davide Massa as the referee for this one. The 43-year-old Italian has officiated four competitive matches involving Leverkusen to date, including the 4-0 win at Feyenoord on Matchday 1 of the current Champions League campaign. Assisting Massa today are his compatriots Ciro Carbone and Stefano Alassio on the sidelines, as well as Aleandro di Paolo as VAR.
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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On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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Bayer 04 are away to third-division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw on Saturday night, 6 June, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The Werkself first round tie will be played between 21 and 24 August. The exact date has yet to be finalised.
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