Unfortunately, long delays are expected travelling to and from a game by car due to various roadworks. The A1 (Dortmund in the direction of Cologne) has the right lane closed between the Leverkusen interchange and the Leverkusen West interchange with traffic restricted to one lane. The stretch between the Köttersbach bridge and the Leverkusen interchange has the left lane closed with two lanes open to traffic.
Today's game is the fourth competitive match between the two clubs and the first meeting in the UEFA Champions League since the 2002/03 season. Both teams are currently in a good position in the table: The Black and Reds are sixth on ten points and Inter Milan are second on 13 points behind leaders Liverpool. In their previous games, the Nerazzurri have clocked up the following results: 0-0 at Manchester City, 4-0 against Red Star Belgrade and 1-0 wins against Young Boys, Arsenal and RB Leipzig. Inter are the only team yet to concede and if they keep a clean sheet today then they would be the first team to achieve that feat in the first six matches in a Champions League campaign.
While the Italians, with former Leverkusen player Hakan Calhanoglu, have the best defence in the use of the season so far, the Werkself have top marks in other areas: The Leverkusen pass completion rate is 90% back of the second highest of all the 36 teams. That is only surpassed by Manchester City (92.6%). The Black and Reds have also shone in counter pressing: Leverkusen have found their own players with 84% of passes when under pressure from the opponents. Again Manchester City are the top side (87.7%) in that respect.
Inter Milan succeeded in securing victory in their last match in Serie A with a comfortable 3-1 win against newly promoted Parma at home on Friday night. The reigning Italian champions are set up for the Champions League clash with the Werkself. Inter are unbeaten in 13 games with the last defeat coming two and a half months ago. The Italian side are currently third in the table three points behind leaders Atalanta having played one game less. More on tonight's opponents can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
Following the press conference on Monday afternoon with Xabi Alonso and Edmond Tapsoba (HERE is the report), the Inter coach Simone Inzaghi and midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu spoke about today's game. Head coach Inzaghi said: "We definitely have to be at our best in the game against Leverkusen. We are playing one of the strongest teams in Europe who have only lost three games over the last 16 months. Therefore, we have prepared for a game against a very strong team."
Calhanoglu, who played for Bayer 04 from 2014 to 2017, said: "It's my first time in Leverkusen in seven years. I'm looking forward to seeing a few familiar faces. We are facing a great team but we have to focus on ourselves. We want to build on our previous good performances."
Anyone wanting to discover the latest information ahead of the game can take a look at the new Werkself Live. The matchday magazine, that includes key facts and stats on the match, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively it is available free online. HERE is the e-paper.
UEFA has appointed Slavko Vincić as the referee for today's game. It is the third match for the 45-year-old Slovenian involving the Werkself (one win, one draw). The assistant referees are fellow countrymen Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic with Alen Borosak in action as the VAR.
The match will be broadcast live on DAZN. 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 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.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 4-0 win at SGS Essen on the 24th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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Bayer 04 put in a brilliant performance to beat RB Leipzig 4-1 on Bundesliga matchday 32 and are now fourth in a Champions League spot. The Black and Reds took control of the game right from the start and, with 75 per cent possession at one stage, took a 2-0 lead into the break through Patrik Schick (25’) and Nathan Tella (45+1’). The visitors initially tried to do more after the break, but the Werkself remained determined and Schick scored his second goal to increase the lead to 3-0 (76'). The Red Bulls pulled a goal back through Christoph Baumgartner (80'), but the disciplined Leverkusen side were not rattled - and certainly not Schick: The Czechia international crowned a brilliant display with his third goal shortly before the final whistle to make the final score 4-1.
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In the previous game against RB Leipzig in December last year, the Werkself turned came from behind to win 3-1 and further improved Leverkusen's already strong record against the Red Bulls. Montrell Culbreath stood out with his first goal on his debut for the Black and Reds. While the 18-year-old would certainly like to score a second goal against Leipzig on Saturday night, the attack-minded visitors come to the BayArena in confident mood after five Bundesliga victories in a row. The Nordkurve12 supporters group knows the Werkself will therefore once again be reliant on the vociferous support of the fans, and has once again called for the ‘Finally Red’ campaign in the run-in. Today’s matchday news.
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Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA), together with the German Football League (DFL), announced the top male and female selections for the 2025/26 Bundesliga season this week. Bayer 04 striker Vanessa Fudalla is in the starting eleven of the women's "Team of the Season". Alejandro Grimaldo and Aleix Garcia have been selected as bench players in the men's team.
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