Bayer 04 are unbeaten in the three home games against Bayern Munich under Xabi Alonso with two ending in victory. Before Alonso arrived, Bayer Leverkusen only won one of their eight home games against Bayern (two draws, five defeats) from 2015/16 to 2021/22.
The Werkself could become the fifth team in the history of the UEFA Champions League to have lost the first leg in a knockout round by at least three goals but nevertheless progress to the next round – that was last achieved by Liverpool in the semi-final against Barcelona in the 2018/19 campaign.
Bayern Munich have qualified for the quarter-finals in the European Cup/Champions League 35 times with only Real Madrid achieving that feat more often (39 times).
With the 3-0 win in the first leg, FC Bayern are in a good position for the second leg encounter. But the record champions failed to win at the weekend suffering a 3-2 defeat against VfL Bochum on Saturday. For Harry Kane the second leg is now the perfect opportunity to show a reaction to the defeat against Bochum. The England international said: "Every time we've lost this season we've gone into the next game full of passion and determination. We will need that on Tuesday." Further information on Bayern Munich can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
After the press conference with Xabi Alonso and Jonathan Tah on Monday afternoon (HERE is the report), FCB coach Vincent Kompany and midfielder Leon Goretzka shared their views on today's game with the media in the evening. Kompany said: "We want to get the result that takes us into the next round. But the priority above all else is for us to win the game. Certain things will happen and we can expect that. We have to produce our best performance again."
Leon Goretzka declared: "We will definitely take a similar approach. The situation in the tie is an advantage but it will now be the fifth or sixth game against Leverkusen. They’ve all been tight games so we absolutely want to win the match regardless of the first leg result." Statements from the duo can be found HERE.
Fans who want to get in the mood for today's Champions League night could take a look at the two-hour documentary on the 1998 UEFA Cup win. Back then, the Werkself lost 3-0 in the first leg of the final against Espanyol. The comeback was achieved in the second leg with Bayer 04 3-0 up after extra time. The Black and Reds won the penalty shootout 3-2 to lift the UEFA Cup. The game was like a film. Exclusive insights into that highly emotional an historic night are available here:
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Anyone wanting to discover the latest information ahead of kick-off can take a look at the new Werkself Live. The matchday magazine, which includes key facts and stats on the match, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively it is available free online. HERE is the e-paper.
Die UEFA hat Slavko Vincic für die Partie angesetzt. Der 45-jährige Slowene leitete bisher drei Spiele mit Beteiligung der Werkself (2 Siege, 1 Remis). Vincic assistieren heute seine Landsmänner Tomaz Klancnik und Andraz Kovacic an den Seitenlinien, als VAR ist Alen Borošak im Einsatz.
The game will be broadcast live on Prime Video. As ever, supporters unable to be at the match can follow the game on Werkself Radio. The audio broadcast starts 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep fans up-to-date. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
Fans at the BayArena got to enjoy a spectacle on Wednesday as the Werkself came from behind to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the DFB Pokal. Now with the sixth home game of the season, can Bayer 04 maintain their perfect record in Leverkusen as VfB Stuttgart come to town in the Bundesliga on Saturday (15:30 CET)? The visitors have had issues domestically this term, sitting in 15th place, although they have had much better results in the UEFA Champions League. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Matchday 8 encounter…
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Three days after the spectacular comeback in the DFB Pokal tie against FC Nürnberg (5–2), the Werkself face their next challenge in the Bundesliga. On Saturday, 31 October (kick-off: 15:30 CET), Bayer 04 host VfB Stuttgart, currently 15th in the table, at the BayArena. Ahead of the match, Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about important factors in preparing for this next game given a tight fixture list.
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Despite VfB Stuttgart performing well in the Champions League, they are facing a difficult spell early on in the Bundesliga. Three days after their last-minute victory in the DFB Pokal at SC Paderborn 07, the Swabians can now take to the pitch at the BayArena with greater confidence on Saturday, 31 October (kick-off: 15:30 CET). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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