The situation appeared hopeless after the first three matches. Juventus led the group on seven points, Atletico were second also on seven points with Bayer 04 pointless. But the Werkself then won twice and Atletico did not pick up a single point. Bayer 04 were on the up and Atletico in decline. A psychological benefit for Bosz? “Unfortunately not. The fact is: We are still a point behind. And Atletico are at home to Loko Moscow. Loko have nothing to lose or win.”
Nevertheless, the Dutchman made it clear: Bayer 04 want to secure victory over the Old Lady to play their part in a possible miracle. If the Werkself win and Atletico fail to pick up any points then Leverkusen would be in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. The only other team to achieve that since the Champions League was introduced in 1992 was Newcastle United in 2002/03.
It is now clear that Bosz will have to leave out two players from the squad for the 2-1 win against Schalke 04. The reason: The Champions League rules only allow an 18-man squad. “You’ll see the rest tomorrow,” said the Dutchman in response to the question about possible rotation. It is certain that Nadiem Amiri is suspended after being sent off in the home game against Atletico Madrid; Jonathan Tah returns to the squad in his place. His two-match ban only applies to the Bundesliga.
Playmaker Kai Havertz, who was also at the press conference, is looking forward to the clash with the Italian record champions – and playing against goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon. The 20-year-old: “Gigi is a legend. For me, he was and is a great role model. Players like that are the face of football. Not least because he’s been around so long.”
Havertz was asked about the transfers and he made his position clear. “I’m not interested it that at all. We’ve got important games coming up. The focus is completely on Leverkusen. I’ve been injured recently and I’m happy to be back on the pitch. That’s the most important thing for me now,” said the Germany international. Bosz is happy to have his number 29 back on the pitch. A win against Juventus is only possible with a solid team performance. The Werkself head coach said at the end: “We can only beat Juve playing as a team!”
Match info:
Referee: Benoît Bastien (France)
Live broadcaster: DAZN
Tickets: Bayer 04 expect a sell-out at the BayArena
Alejandro Grimaldo, of course! With his late equaliser (88') in the Champions League clash against Newcastle United, the Spaniard rescued a point for the Werkself, who took the lead through an own goal by Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes (13') but went with two goals for the visitors scored by Anthony Gordon (51') and Lewis Miley (74'). It was the third draw for Bayer 04 in the current 2025/26 campaign on matchday 6 in the UCL league phase.
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The Werkself will be looking to continue their run in the Champions League against Newcastle United on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET). The two victories without conceding a goal at Benfica (1:0) and Manchester City (2-0) will hopefully be followed by a win at home at the BayArena. Against the English side, who have a player with a Black and Red past in their ranks, the way to victory could be through efficiency in attack and quick transitional play. The latter in particular has recently caused the Magpies problems away from home on the European stage. Fans can also get the stylish matchday sticker for their Sound of Dreams tour pass at the Bayer 04 Fanwelt. The matchday news.
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For the first time ever, Bayer 04 have reached the knockout phase of the UEFA Youth League. At the end of the league phase, the Leverkusen U19s secured a 2-1 home win against Newcastle United on Wednesday, 10 December. Montrell Culbreath scored before half-time and Ferdinand Pohl doubled the lead after the restart in the clash with the English side. The UCL youth competition continues at the beginning of February with the Round of 32, which will be played away from home without a second leg.
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The Bayer 04 U19s today, Wednesday 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET), host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday in the league phase of the UEFA Youth League. For coach Kevin Brok's team, the game against the English side is about securing a place in the next stage of the competition and a historic first appearance in the knockout phase. Werkself TV will broadcast the match live and free of charge from the Ulrich Haberland Stadium from 13:50 CET...
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Will Bayer 04 emulate their away wins at Benfica and Manchester City? Newcastle United are the visitors at a sold-out BayArena on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET/live on Werkself Radio) to round off the UEFA Champions League games for the year. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke in advance about the momentum in Europe's premier club competition and gave an encouraging personnel update. Jarell Quansah also spoke about his experiences playing against Nick Woltemade and his wish for the Bayer 04 fans.
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