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
There was a successful end to the women's internationals with Werkself players Carlotta Wamser and Cornelia Kramer qualifying for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil. A third Leverkusen player is still in with a chance of joining them. The Germany U23 players also experienced success in their last two international friendlies of the season.
Show more
Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
Show more
A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
Show more
On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
Show more
