Kaiserslautern have won just three of their last 27 competitive meetings against the Werkself. This will be the seventh encounter between the two clubs in the cup. Victory for the Black-and-Reds would mean a first domestic double following the first Bundesliga title - Bayer 04 would become just the fifth team since the formation of the Bundesliga to achieve this feat. FC Bayern Munich, 1. FC Köln, SV Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund have previously claimed the double.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, are in the DFB Pokal final for the first time since the 2002/03 campaign and the eighth time in total. FCK are also the first Bundesliga 2 side to reach the final of the competition since MSV Duisburg in 2010/11.
And a bit of information on Kaiserslautern coach Friedhelm Funkel: the 70-year-old was actually already "retired", as he explained at yesterday's press conference. However, in February he took the helm at the relegation-threatened Rhineland-Palatinate club. Not only has Funkel guided them to safety in the league but also to victory in the DFB Pokal semi-finals, where they overcame 1. FC Saarbrücken, who knocked out Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Mönchengladbach in the previous rounds. Today is Funkel's third appearance in the cup final as a coach - a joint record.
A turbulent campaign in the second tier, with a total of three different coaches, ended in 13th place for Kaiserslautern. With 59 goals, FCK only scored three fewer than champions FC St. Pauli (62) - remarkable for a team who only narrowly avoided relegation to the third division. It's at the back where the two-time cup winners have been particularly vulnerable. Dominating games also doesn't seem to suit FCK: when it comes to possession (44%) and pass completion (78.3%), their numbers are not impressive. Funkel was therefore clear in his assessment ahead of his third cup final: "I've never been more of an underdog. We need our best performance of the season." There's more on today's opponents in the in-depth opponent analysis.
Travel, food and drink, contact details and more: the Bayer 04 Fan Liaison team has put together all the information that the 27,000 travelling Leverkusen fans need ahead of the DFB Pokal final at Berlin's Olympiastadion. Click HERE!
Fans can also keep up to date with the trip to the capital with the live blog.
Another note: the Schwadbud at the BayArena is closed on Saturday.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Bastian Dankert as the referee for the final. The 43-year-old has officiated 13 competitive fixtures involving the Werkself to date, with a record of six wins for the Black-and-Reds, one draw and six defeats. Dingert will be assisted this evening by René Rohde and Marcel Unger, while Harm Osmers is the VAR.
This evening's match will be shown live on ARD in Germany.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 4-0 win at SGS Essen on the 24th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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Bayer 04 put in a brilliant performance to beat RB Leipzig 4-1 on Bundesliga matchday 32 and are now fourth in a Champions League spot. The Black and Reds took control of the game right from the start and, with 75 per cent possession at one stage, took a 2-0 lead into the break through Patrik Schick (25’) and Nathan Tella (45+1’). The visitors initially tried to do more after the break, but the Werkself remained determined and Schick scored his second goal to increase the lead to 3-0 (76'). The Red Bulls pulled a goal back through Christoph Baumgartner (80'), but the disciplined Leverkusen side were not rattled - and certainly not Schick: The Czechia international crowned a brilliant display with his third goal shortly before the final whistle to make the final score 4-1.
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In the previous game against RB Leipzig in December last year, the Werkself turned came from behind to win 3-1 and further improved Leverkusen's already strong record against the Red Bulls. Montrell Culbreath stood out with his first goal on his debut for the Black and Reds. While the 18-year-old would certainly like to score a second goal against Leipzig on Saturday night, the attack-minded visitors come to the BayArena in confident mood after five Bundesliga victories in a row. The Nordkurve12 supporters group knows the Werkself will therefore once again be reliant on the vociferous support of the fans, and has once again called for the ‘Finally Red’ campaign in the run-in. Today’s matchday news.
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Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA), together with the German Football League (DFL), announced the top male and female selections for the 2025/26 Bundesliga season this week. Bayer 04 striker Vanessa Fudalla is in the starting eleven of the women's "Team of the Season". Alejandro Grimaldo and Aleix Garcia have been selected as bench players in the men's team.
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