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.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended Abdoulaye Faye’s contract by a further year to 30 June 2031. During the 2026/27 season, the talented defender will play for Celta Vigo on loan without an option to buy. The 21-year-old Senegalese is set to feature in La Liga and the UEFA Europa League with last season’s sixth-placed side in Spain.
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The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme on day one (Sunday 2 August) includes a media round with managing director sport Simon Rolfes, free time for the team after the friendly against Rot-Weiss Essen and before an intensive week of training begins, as well as a coffee get-together where CEO Fernando Carro and Rolfes met around 100 fans in the afternoon.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have agreed Kerim Alajbegovic’s transfer to Italian record champions Juventus. The club brought the 18-year-old attacking player back to Leverkusen this summer via a buy-back option, following a season at Red Bull Salzburg. Until his move to Austria, the Bosnia international had been playing for Bayer 04’s Under-19s.
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A warm welcome to the Weimarer Land, Bayer 04! The Werkself moved into their accommodation for this year’s training camp on Saturday evening. In Blankenhain, Thuringia, head coach Carles Martínez’s team have a programme of gruelling training sessions – several of which will be open to fans – and team-building activities lined up for the next six days. We’ll be following the Werkself up close and providing you with exclusive insights, quotes, photos and videos from the training camp.
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With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
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