Bayer 04 are in the last eight of Germany's domestic cup competition for the sixteenth time in the club's history. The Werkself are just two steps away from a big target, two steps away from a thrilling final in the capital. That is what Heiko Herrlich and his players are aiming for. Kevin Volland and captain Lars Bender spoke for the whole team when they said: "It would be a dream come true to get to the final."
Bayer 04 are two wins away from Berlin and the next hurdle promises to be an exciting encounter: The tie against Werder Bremen at the BayArena on Tuesday 6 February kicks off at 20.45 CET. This all-or-nothing game against the Green and Whites is anything but a foregone conclusion. Werder are looking to move up to mid-table in the Bundesliga and they lost 1-0 away to the Werkself in December (goalscorer Lucas Alario celebrates above). However, it is clear Bremen under new coach Florian Kohfeldt have grown enormously in strength and confidence, which they demonstrated on the penultimate Bundesliga matchday when they gave Bayern Munich a run for their money at the Allianz Arena up to the final stages of the game that they ended up losing 4-2.
Bayer 04 are obviously looking for the fans to help get them through to the semi-finals. Leverkusen did lose out at the quarter-final stage of the DFB Cup two years ago at home to Bremen. The match at the BayArena ended in a 3-1 defeat. Chicharito put the Black and Reds 1-0 up from the penalty spot before Garcia, Pizarro and Grillitsch turned the game round for the visitors. "We were too ponderous after taking the lead," said sporting director Rudi Völler back then.
The Werkself will be determined not to repeat that performance this time round. So the maxim for Tuesday 6 February is: Full speed ahead for the semi-finals, all together for the penultimate match on the the road to Berlin.
Tickets for the Bremen Cup tie are available
- online at the ticket webshop
- by phone on 0049 (0)214 5000 1904
- in person at the Service Counter OST (BayArena, Bismarckstraße 122-124) and at the Bayer 04 shops in Leverkusen City, Bergisch Gladbach and Solingen
It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-1 derby win at 1. FC Köln Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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There were celebrations among those in black and red at the RheinEnergieSTADION. On Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, the Werkself beat 1. FC Köln 2-0 and registered their sixth successive win in the derby. Aleix Garcia put Bayer 04 in front after just seven minutes with a direct free kick. Leverkusen played with discipline and energy after that and didn't allow some fierce challenges to unsettle them. Patrik Schick made it 2-0 in the 86th minute, and Said El Mala's goal in stoppage time for Köln proved nothing more than consolation. Jonas Hofmann crowned the derby win with his 100th appearance for the club.
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