The only previous competitive encounters between Feyenoord and the Werkself came in the 1987/88 UEFA Cup as Leverkusen progressed 3-2 on aggregate in the round of 16 en route to lifting the trophy.
Tonight’s game is being played at the legendary Stadion Feijenoord, better known as De Kuip, which translates as ‘the tub’ due to the shape of its roof. It’s the second largest stadium in the Netherlands and holds the record for hosting the most European finals with 10 across the European Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Cup, European Championship, and most recently the 2023 UEFA Nations League final.
Like Bayer 04, Feyenoord have also won silverware already this season as the Eredivisie runners-up and KNVB Cup winners beat champions PSV Eindhoven on penalties to lift the Dutch Super Cup.
Feyenoord are one of Dutch football’s biggest names alongside the likes of Ajax and PSV. They won their 16th league title in 2022/23 before finishing second last term. It’s their seventh participation in the Champions League. They are yet to lose in the Eredivisie this season and are unbeaten in 24 across multiple seasons, but they have only won one of their fixtures so far this term, drawing the other three to sit sixth in the table. Find out more about Feyenoord in our in-depth analysis.
Due to the potentially heated nature of this match, Bayer 04 asks all fans to behave peacefully and responsibly in the stadium and in the Rotterdam city area. Bayer 04 would also ask all fans to behave in a level-headed manner in the run-up to the match to prevent conflict situations from arising in the first place. The following conditions are to be expected on site:
Bayer 04 will do everything in its power to make the match an atmospheric and, above all, peaceful football festival. Together with hosts Feyenoord, with whom Bayer 04 has a trusting relationship, the support of the fans is also requested.
A total of 2,500 fans are expected to make the trip from Leverkusen to Rotterdam. The Bayer 04 fan liaison team have put together key information on the game for travelling supporters. Find out more HERE.
Those fans who can’t be in Rotterdam can follow updates from the build-up to the game in our live blog HERE.
UEFA have appointed Davide Massa as tonight’s referee. The 43-year-old Italian has overseen three previous Werkself fixtures, with a win, draw and loss each. His assistants are compatriots Filippo Meli and Stefano Alassio. The VAR is Aleandro Di Paolo.
Werkself Radio is available for anyone unable to be at the game. The German audio broadcast starts 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep fans up to date on bayer04.de and the Bayer 04 app.
Bayern Munich come to the BayArena this Saturday with an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga as they look to take a step closer to the title. As imperious as they may seem, a weakness has emerged of late that the Werkself proved they can exploit in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League. Leverkusen are also looking to make it four Bundesliga home games unbeaten against the Bavarians. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the 15:30 CET kick-off in our matchday news.
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Another home game, another top opponent - another marker? Three days after their convincing performance in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg, Bayer 04 continue their Bundesliga campaign with an equally high-calibre fixture. Matchday 26 sees league leaders Bayern Munich visit the sold-out BayArena. Ahead of the clash, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about a comparison between Arsenal and the Bavarians, Bayern's high-scoring performance in Europe's premier club competition and a return to the squad for one Werkself player.
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High spirits and previously untold stories: Around 100 Bayer 04 fans packed the Schwadbud fan pub in the east stand of the BayArena on Thursday evening to be there in person for the first instalment of the new series of events entitled “Rudi lädt ein” (Rudi invites you). They listened intently as long-serving Werkself players Gonzalo Castro and Stefan Kießling chatted with record appearance-maker Rüdiger Vollborn and presenter and stadium announcer Tobias Ufer about their many years together at the club, shared amusing anecdotes and revealed dressing room secrets. Anyone who missed the premiere can already look forward to the second instalment – on 12 May, Rudi will be testing the expert knowledge of Bayer 04 fans during a quiz night.
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The Bundesliga home game against VfL Wolfsburg in the first half of the season was one of those classic ‘days to forget’ for Bayer 04 Women. It started with goalkeeper Charlotte Voll being shown a red card in the first minute of the game, and following a further sending-off, coach Roberto Pätzold's 9-women side ended up losing 5-1 to last season's runners-up. At 18.30 CET on Sunday, they'll have the chance to exact revenge at the AOK Stadium - and pick up valuable points in the race for third place.
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They're well on their way to becoming German champions for the 35th time and once again proved their incredible class in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. This Saturday, 14 March (kick-off: 15.30 CET), Bayern Munich will be the visitors to the BayArena. It'll be a meeting of the two Bundesliga teams with the most dominant styles of play. A look at our opponents shows the visitors from the Bavarian capital have many strengths - but are also vulnerable.
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