A tough challenge awaits at the venerable Stade Louis II in the shadow of the Rock of Monaco: AS Monaco are currently second in Ligue 1 and also head Group E in the Champions League after their 2-1 away win against Tottenham Hotspur.
"Monaco are an interesting team," said Bernd Leno at the pre-match press conference the night before the showdown. The Werkself played Monaco in the group stage two years ago losing 1-0 both at home and away. Coach Roger Schmidt clearly remembers both games. "We put in a huge amount of effort ended up with nothing," said the 48-year-old and declared the opponents' game is not change much in that time.
Bender and Calhanoglu set to return
"They don't take many risks and keep lots of players behind the ball," explained Schmidt: "Patience plays an important role against teams like that." The return of two key players in midfield, Lars Bender and Hakan Calhanoglu, comes at just the right time for the boss. Bender was unavailable at Mainz due to an ankle problem and Calhanoglu was sidelined with a bruised shin. "Hakan will very probably be back in the squad and it's looking up for Lars too," said Schmidt. A decision on Bender will come after the final pre-match training session.
The session took place straight after the press conference. Under floodlights and led out by Stefan Kießling the players came onto the pitch in front of empty stands to get a first taste of the unique atmosphere at the spacious Stade Louis II. In addition to being a football stadium it is also home to the local fencers, boxers and swimmers. Monaco home games do not attract as many fans as in German grounds with an average crowd of just over 8,000. However, that is an impressive figure given the city state only has population of 40,000.
Falcao sidelined
The Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim is only interested in the performance of his team and that has certainly in outstanding in recent weeks. Above all, the young Frenchman Thomas Lemar has impressed on the left wing and is suitably confident: "We’re well prepared for Bayer 04 and we want to get a result." Star striker Radamel Falcao will not be playing as he is still suffering from the effects of concussion.
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
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At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
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