
For the DFB Pokal second round tie at SC Paderborn, Bayer 04 fans can not only get the stylish Talcid chameleon sleeve badge, but also free player printing when buying any jersey with the DFB Pokal badge. The offer is valid both at the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt on the south side of the BayArena and it ends on Wednesday, 29 October at 23:59 CET. Further information on the promotion can be found HERE.
Bayer 04 and SC Paderborn have met six times so far, with the Werkself never losing. The one draw was followed by five wins in a row. The last clash to date with SCP was also in the DFB Pokal: Leverkusen won 3-1 in the Round of 16 in the 2023/24 season. Patrik Schick sealed the win back then and last Sunday he made his comeback in the Bundesliga against SC Freiburg (2-0).
The Werkself have rarely had problems in the second round of the DFB Pokal: In six of the last seven games at this stage, Bayer 04 have progressed to the Round of 16. The Leverkusen side almost always score away from home in the Pokal: The last time they failed to find the back of the net in an away tie in this competition was over 18 years ago.
A dream start, including a club record of six wins in a row, has put SC Paderborn in second place in the chase for promotion after ten games. Despite a change of coach before the season, SCP are running like clockwork under new coach Ralf Kettemann, the successor to Lukas Kwasniok, who came from the Karlsruher SC U19s. SCP secured a comfortable 3-1 win away to FC Viktoria Köln in the first round of the DFB Pokal. The defence around Felix Götze is the fourth best in Bundesliga 2, while up front much is geared towards goalscorer Filip Bilbija. Although converting chances in front of goal is sometimes one of Paderborn's few weak points, the SCP attack is still the fifth best in the league thanks to seven Bilbija goals. Find out more about the opposition for the Werkself in the DFB Pokal in our lowdown on the next opponents.
1,500 Bayer 04 fans will follow the Werkself to Paderborn and provide vocal support from the sold-out away section in the mission to reach the Round of 16. As always, key information for away fans can be found in the Fan information!
In the eight matches with Patrick Ittrich in charge of proceedings, the Werkself are unbeaten seven times and have won four of the games. Bayer 04 last won at home against Hertha Berlin in March 2023. The 46-year-old referee from Hamburg is refereeing the Leverkusen side for the first time in the Pokal with the help of assistant referees Thomas Gorniak and Jan Seidel. The match officials have to manage without the help of VAR in the second round of the DFB Pokal. However, goal-line technology will be used as usual.
The match will be shown both as an individual game and on multi-view on Sky Sport and streamed on WOW. The Werkself Radio commentators Niko Hartmann and Florian Bechholz will, of course, broadcast live from the Paderborn Home Deluxe Arena. As always, the audio broadcast begins half an hour before kick-off. In addition, the live text service will keep you up to date so you don't miss any of the action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text updates can be found at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.

Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
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In issue #56 of Werkself Magazine, Afonso Moreira offers some interesting insights into his home country, Portugal, as part of the ‘Sag mal’ (Tell me) feature. Among other things, the 21-year-old talks about his favourite places in the country on the Iberian Peninsula, the local cuisine and music, as well as heroes and historical figures beyond the world of football. ‘Sag mal’ with Afonso Moreira!
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