Matchday news #B04PSV: Important travel information and unforgettable ‘Sound of Dreams’ memories

S-Bahn closed after the match

Due to construction work, S-Bahn trains will no longer run between Leverkusen Mitte station and Cologne and Düsseldorf from around 20:00 CEST. A rail replacement service in the form of buses has been organised, but the capacity is significantly lower than that of the trains. An additional train will run after the match from Leverkusen city centre to Düsseldorf for up to 800 people. This means that within an hour of the match, three trains will be travelling in the direction of Düsseldorf and two in the direction of Cologne.

#B04PSV: match facts

Bayer 04 and PSV Eindhoven have only met twice before - in the first round of the UEFA Cup in 1994. The first of the two encounters was a match worth watching: Ulf Kirsten scored for Leverkusen and Ronaldo for PSV in a 5-4 home win for the Werkself. Bayer 04 progressed thanks to a 0-0 draw in the second leg. The Black and Reds are also unbeaten in their five other matches against Dutch teams.

Two familiar faces return to the BayArena on Wednesday night. PSV head coach Peter Bosz led the Werkself to the Champions League once and the Europa League once between 2018 and 2021. Meanwhile, the Czechia international Matej Kovar, who is currently on loan at PSV from Bayer 04, is in goal for the Dutch side.

focus on PSV 

Peter Bosz has moulded the Dutch team into a real top team. Over the past two seasons, PSV won both the Eredivisie and the Super Cup twice. Nevertheless, or perhaps precisely because of this, the club had to let a number of key players go during the summer break. In addition to wingers Noa Lang (Napoli) and Johan Bakayoko (RB Leipzig), striker Luuk de Jong (Porto) and, of course, Malik Tillman who left the club to join Bayer 04. Alassane Plea (Borussia Mönchengladbach) and Ruben van Bommel (AZ Alkmaar), who were signed in their place, are both injured, so hopes now lie with former FC Augsburg striker Ricardo Pepi, veteran star Ivan Perisic and young Paul Wanner, who joined PSV from Bayern Munich. Peter Bosz's attacking football still makes the PSV game attractive this season, but defensively it leaves gaps that the occasionally vulnerable Dutch defence is not always able to close. Nevertheless, the team constantly poses a goal threat by getting on the front foot quickly and fast transition play and are still good for a few goals, even when weakened by injuries. The lowdown on our next opponents is HERE.

Sound of Dreams: Passport photos for the Tour Passport

Bayer 04 at home to PSV. Under the motto ‘Sound of Dreams - #aCROSS Europe 2025/26’, the Werkself and the Bayer 04 fans are turning the Champions League into a festival. In addition to a Champions League Spotify playlist, there is also an exclusive tour pass for the new UCL season, which all Bayer 04 Club members can secure at the Fanwelt. In the weeks of the individual Champions League matches, Tour Pass holders can also pick up matching stickers at the Fanwelt and win great prizes at the end of the league phase.

To make the tour pass even more personalised, fans have the opportunity to take a very special passport photo in the Sound of Dreams look at today's game! A photo booth will be set up in front of blocks A2/A3 on the east side of the BayArena, and small passport photos will be printed out free of charge. All further information on the tour pass, the Spotify playlist and the ‘Sound of Dreams - #aCROSS Europe 2025/26’ motto can be found HERE!

away team press conference

Following the Werkself press conference on Tuesday afternoon with head coach Kasper Hjulmand and centre-back Edmond Tapsoba (HERE is the report), the two former Bayer 04 men Peter Bosz and Matej Kovar faced the media on behalf of the visitors this afternoon. Bosz is looking forward to the reunion and still feels connected to the Werkself: "I'm still in contact with many people from back then. I was also at the BayArena for the title winning game against Werder Bremen. I didn't want to miss that." The head coach didn't want to talk about an injury-hit PSV: "I don't like to spend a lot of time complaining about it. I'm the coach and it's my job to find solutions."

Kovar also has fond memories of his Leverkusen days: "It was an incredible time. We had a great team spirit, so I'm very grateful to have experienced those two years here." His favourite UCL memory is the 1-0 home win against Inter Milan, "not just because of the result, but also because of the atmosphere." The Czechia keeper will be able to enjoy it again on Wednesday night.

Werkself Live

Want to be well informed ahead of the Champions League clash with PSV? Then take a look at the new Werkself Live! The matchday flyer, providing key facts and figures about the game in compact form, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively, the online version is also available. This time on the XXL poster: The man with the magic touch Alejandro Grimaldo. The e-paper is HERE. 

Nyberg is the ref

For the first time, the Swede Glenn Nyberg will referee a match involving the Werkself. German clubs have a good record in matches with him in charge of proceedings: In six games, there have been three wins, two draws and one defeat. Tonight, the 36-year-old has compatriots Mahbod Beigi and Andreas Söderkvist as assistant referees. The fourth official is Adam Ladebäck - also from Sweden - and Carlos del Cerro Grande from Spain will act as VAR.

on DAZN and WErkself Radio

Bayer 04's second match in the current Champions League phase against PSV is live on DAZN. As usual, Werkself-Radio with commentators Niko Hartmann and Florian Bechholz will also bring you live coverage of the Champions League action. The audio broadcast begins half an hour before kick-off. As usual, the live text update service will also keep you up to date so you don't miss any of the match. You can find both Werkself Radio and the live text updates at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.