Bayer 04 and FC Köln have previously met three times in the DFB Pokal with the Werkself winning the last two ties. There was a 3-1 win in the semi-finals in 2001/02 and a 2-0 victory in the third round in 1991/92. The other meeting in the second round in 1982/83 was won by FC Köln (3-1).
The team from Cologne are back in the quarter-finals this season for the first time since 2009/10. For the Werkself it is the fourth time in the last eight since 2017/18. Bayer 04 have won all quarter-final ties since then (2017/18, 2019/20 and 2023/24). Winning a Pokal quarter-final for the fourth time in succession would be a record for Bayer 04. FC Köln came out winners in twelve of their last 16 quarter-final ties.
The Werkself have won nine Pokal ties in succession across seasons – equalling the club record (from August 1992 to September 1993). Starting with the semi-final last season, the Werkself have played five Pokal games in succession without conceding. That is the second longest run in the club's history. There was a run of seven games without conceding across seasons in the run-up to winning the DFB Pokal in 1993.
The Werkself under Xabi Alonso have previously played 04 Pokal games against second tier teams with all those games ending in victory. The Spaniard is also still unbeaten as a coach in the DFB Pokal. As is FC Köln coach Gerhard Struber who took over the helm in Cologne at the start of the season.
The Werkself beat Regional League FC Carl Zeiss Jena 1-0 in the first round, then overcame second division SV 07 Elversberg 3-0 in the second round, and finally beat record Pokal winners Bayern Munich 1-0 at the Allianz Arena in the Round of 16.
FC Köln’s path to the quarter-finals: A 3-2 away win in the first round at SV Sandhausen was followed by a 3-0 home victory in the second round against newly promoted Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel. FC Köln came through the Round of 16 with a 2-1 win in extra time against second division rivals Hertha Berlin.
FC Köln went top of Bundesliga 2 above Hamburg SV last weekend thanks to a 2-1 win away to Eintracht Braunschweig. The team from Cologne, relegated from the top-flight last season, are now in top spot on 37 points after a very positive run following a mixed start to the season. The last ten league games have included eight wins and a draw. Their strengths particularly include a solid defence: FC Köln have the second best defence in the league with 25 goals conceded. Further information on today's opposition can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
Anyone wanting to discover the latest information ahead of kick-off can take a look at the new Werkself Live. The matchday magazine, which includes key facts and stats on the match, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively it is available free online. HERE is the e-paper.
The German Football Association (DFB) have put Frank Willenborg in charge of today's game. The 45-year-old referee has previously officiated ten games involving the Werkself (six wins, two draws and two defeats). Willenborg’s assistants today are Sascha Thielert and Markus Schüller with Robert Schröder in action as the VAR.
As in last Sunday's Bundesliga home game for the Werkself against TSG Hoffenheim (3-1), there is the possibility in today's DFB Pokal tie that the referee will make use of the stadium PA. Referees can, in certain situations, explain their decisions on the pitch over the PA system. In the game against Hoffenheim, referee Dr Robin Braun explained the decision to overturn a penalty due to a player being offside in the build-up via the stadium PA.
he DFB Pokal tie will be broadcast live on ARD as well as on Sky. As ever, supporters unable to be at the match can follow the game on Werkself Radio. The audio broadcast starts 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep fans up-to-date. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
Werkself TV shows highlights of the 2-0 win at Olympiacos in the first leg of the play-offs of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 league...
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The Werkself beat Olympiacos 2-0 in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off first leg to claim a crucial victory in the Greek capital. After a focused first-half display with a number of presentable chances, Patrik Schick crowned a textbook counter to hand the Werkself the lead on the hour (60’). The Czech rounded off his brace when he headed in from a corner just 144 seconds later. Bayer 04 maintained their lead with aplomb to achieve a good position for the return leg in Leverkusen.
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Bayer 04 and Olympiacos had only met twice before the current UEFA Champions campaign. After the encounter on Matchday 7 of this season’s league phase, the Werkself travel to face the Greek side for the second time in just four weeks for the knockout play-off first leg. The Black and Reds were dominant for large spells in mid-January but lost 2-0 after missing a number of presentable chances. The Werkself aim to do better on Wednesday night to “seize the chance for revenge,” as managing director sport Simon Rolfes put it. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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A bitter end to the fifth showdown of the 2025/26 VBL Club Championship as the #B04eSports team failed to take any points in the three remaining matches of the preliminary online round of the fifth and final showdown, missing out on the offline round. They can no longer take points in the overall table. Bayer 04 slipped out on the top eight, so direct participation in the final event for the German Club Championship is no longer possible, with Bayer 04 having to contest the play-offs.
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