This is the first meeting between Bayer 04 and FC Bayern in a big European tournament. The Werkself have only lost one of their four games against German teams on the European stage (two wins, one draw) and there were three clean sheets along the way. The only defeat against a rival national team came in the last such fixture to date with a 3-2 defeat for the Black and Reds against Hamburg SV in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup.
FC Bayern have won their last three games against German teams in European competitions including the Champions League final in 2013 against Borussia Dortmund. Bayern Munich have also won nine of their last eleven Round of 16 home games (nine wins, one draw). The Werkself have only won one of their last ten matches in this round in the UCL (one draw, eight defeats).
FC Bayern have several things to celebrate at the moment. All is going well for the league leaders on the pitch with a difficult away game in Stuttgart won at the weekend. And the record champions have extended the contracts of some key players. So there was a good atmosphere recently at the celebrations of the 125th anniversary of FCB. Discover the latest information on today's opponents HERE.
Ahead of yesterday's press conference in Munich with Xabi Alonso and Granit Xhaka (HERE is the report), FCB coach Vincent Kompany and defender Alphonso Davies shared their views on today's game. Kompany said: "Both teams have a lot of individual quality and a lot of intensity. Leverkusen have earned the right to be seen as a top opponent. The last three games were completely different stories for us and it was very much about details. We don't have any problem with defending deep if the other team has created it. But we are at home and we want to produce our best."
Davies declared: "Matches against Leverkusen are always good. It's been a while since we've beaten them. It will be a top match. We go into the game with intensity, enthusiasm and motivation and we want to do our job." Further statements from the duo can be found HERE.
The Bayer 04 fan liaison team have put together information for this Champions League away game for the 4,000 travelling Werkself fans. Click HERE for the fan information.
All supporters who cannot be at the game can follow the UCL away trip to the Werkself on the live blog HERE.
UEFA has appointed Michael Oliver as the match referee. The 40-year-old Englishman has previously been in charge of four games involving the Werkself (three wins, one defeat). His assistants today are his fellow countrymen Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring and the Australian Jarred Gillett is 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 and the honorary captain and club representative Stefan Kießling in the first half. 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.
With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
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A successful fourth preseason friendly ahead of the start of the training camp: The Werkself secured a 3-0 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The goals in what was a commanding and dominant performance by Leverkusen from the outset were scored by Ibrahim Maza (8'), Patrik Schick from the penalty spot (23’) and, in the second half, Montrell Culbreath with a header (79’). The team set off for their training camp in Blankenhain in the Weimarer Land region after the game.
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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You have voted – your ‘Team of the Quarter-Century’ has been decided! This historic selection, covering the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2024, features honorary captains, Bundesliga champions, double winners and Champions League finalists. Edmond Tapsoba is the only player from the current Bayer 04 squad to make it into the starting XI, while his team-mate Patrik Schick is on the bench. Simon Rolfes, the current managing director sport, is also in the lie-up. A truly special team that brings together a quarter of a century of Bayer 04 history – and has left a decisive mark on the club.
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Following Patrik Schick, Mark Flekken, Ibrahim Maza and Kerim Alajbegovic earlier this week, the next World Cup participant is back on the training ground in Leverkusen: On Thursday 30 July, Malik Tillman rejoined the squad, completing his first training session under head coach Carles Martínez.
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