SV Sandhausen and Bayer 04 meet in a competitive match for the first time. Sandhausen are the 91st opponent for the Werkself in the DFB Pokal, and Bayer 04 are opponent number 38 for SVS. Sandhausen have lost all of their last five cup ties against Bundesliga teams and only come out on top in three out of 17 cup ties against top-flight sides – on penalties each time.
SV Sandhausen are organising mug donations for the cup tie – including in the away section – for two-and-a-half-year- old Liem who is suffering from leukaemia. To increase Liem’s chances of being healthy again, he needs a stem cell donation. All money raised from the mug donations will go to the German Bone Marrow Donor Register (DKMS). Anybody wishing to make an additional donation can do so directly to the DKMS donation account using the following details:
IBAN: DE32 7004 0060 8987 0005 79
Reference: LYB001, Liem
The Werkself can once again look forward to great support on the road. Given the demand for tickets, Bayer 04 endeavoured to obtain a bigger allocation ahead of the cup tie. 3,000 Bayer 04 fans are set to travel to Sandhausen tomorrow. Standing tickets are still available with the ticket office at the ground opening at 16.30 CET. According to SV Sandhausen, 9,000 to 10,000 of their own fans are expected to attend the match.
SV Sandhausen recently put Jens Keller in charge of the team. The 52-year-old coach, who took Schalke 04 to the Round of 16 in the Champions League in 2013/14, is tasked with winning promotion. Keller's first outing as head coach at SVS was successful with a 2-1 away win Sandhausen against Borussia Dortmund II.
The possibility of going back up is on. The third division team are currently seventh in the table with 19 points from 13 games with only four points separating them from a play-off spot. Further information on today's opposition can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Richard Hempel to referee the cup tie. This will be the first game involving the Werkself for the 25-year-old match official. He will be assisted by Tobias Schultens and Eric-Dominic Weisbach on the touchlines and the fourth official is Lars Ebert. VAR is not used in the second round of the DFB Pokal.
As usual, Werkself Radio is available for anybody unable to be at today's game. The audio broadcast begins 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep you up-to-date to ensure you don't miss any of the key match action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available 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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