Everything is running smoothly again at VfB Stuttgart. After two away defeats in Mönchengladbach and Bochum at the start of the year, the Swabians were back in outstanding form both in the 5-2 win against RB Leipzig as well as last weekend’s match away to SC Freiburg. Stuttgart earned a richly deserved 3-1 victory and further secured third place in the table. Deniz Undav (3’) and Chris Führich (7’) got the visitors off to a flying start and they had an extra man for most of the game after Freiburg's Merlin Röhl was shown a red card early on (18'). "We started the game with passion, precision and smart vertical play," said VfB sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth. Maximilian Mittelstädt sealed the result on 74 minutes with his first goal in a VfB shirt. "The win makes me proud and happy and I'd like to dedicate it to Daxo who suffered a serious injury in the week," said coach Sebastian Hoeneß in reference to central defender Dan-Axel Zagadou.
The VfB coach had to reorganise his defensive formation for the game at Freiburg due to the injury to Zagadou. The Frenchman suffered torn knee ligaments off the ball in training. The VfB defender is out for the rest of the season. For the game in Freiburg at the weekend, Hoeneß opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation in place of the previously preferred 3-4-3 line-up. Alongside central defenders Waldemar Anton and Anthony Rouault, Maximilian Mittelstädt (left) and Leonidas Stergiou, making his first start, played at full-back. Atakan Karazor and Angelo Stiller were in defensive midfield. Enzo Millot was the playmaker in central midfield, Chris Führich and Joshua Vagnoman were on the wings. As usual, Deniz Undav played up front and he was once again in excellent form.
It is possible that Stuttgart's second top striker will be back for the game in Leverkusen on Tuesday. Serhou Guirassy has missed recent games due to his participation in AFCON. Last Friday he went out of the competition with Guinea in the quarter-final against Congo DR with his VfB teammate Silas playing for the opposition. While Silas and midfielder Woo-yeong Jeong, who is in the semi-final of the Asian Cup with South Korea, will miss the game against Bayer 04, Hiroki Ito could be available again. The defender was on the losing side with Japan in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup. "We'll have to see how Serhou and Hiroki have dealt with the rigours of travel over the last few weeks," said Fabian Wohlgemuth, "but we are confident they will be with us on Tuesday." VfB are also optimistic in terms of Führich, Mittelstädt and Rouault – all three suffered knocks in the game in Freiburg but are highly likely to be able to play in Leverkusen.
One option in midfield since the start of the month is Mahmoud Dahoud who has joined Stuttgart on loan from Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion. The 28-year-old former Dortmund and Mönchengladbach player made a brief debut appearance against Freiburg.
VfB have often shown this season how powerful they are in attack. Deniz Undav, with a hat-trick, was the man of the match in the 5-2 win against Leipzig two weeks ago. And the centre-forward made a crucial contribution to the 3-1 win in Freiburg on Saturday with a goal and two assists. Undav now has 13 goals and five assists. His strike partner Serhou Guirassy is currently on 17 goals and three assists. If you add winger Chris Führich (6/6) then this trio have scored 36 of Stuttgart's 46 goals in the Bundesliga. An impressive return. VfB have the third-best attack in the league after Bayern Munich and Bayer 04.
VfB Stuttgart are also solid at the back. The Hoeneß team has not conceded a single goal in this season's DFB-Pokal competition. The 4-0 victory over Regional League TSG Balingen was followed by a 1-0 win against Union Berlin and a 2-0 against Borussia Dortmund in the Round of 16. VfB Stuttgart will now approach the next challenge in Leverkusen in confident mood. "We very probably won't come unstuck there due to lack of determination, desire and attitude," said sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth. "Everything else is down to the rules and regulations of the Pokal."
With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.
Show more
Last-minute ecstasy, huge disappointment and a historic performance on the European stage - 2025 was a real emotional roller coaster, especially for the U19s. A rousing run in the knockout phase secured the team a place in the final of the German championships, where they lost by the narrowest of margins. Despite the departure of several key players, the young Werkself team quickly regained their usual strength and qualified for the knockout rounds in the UEFA Youth League for the first time at the end of the year. In 2025, youngsters Jeremiah Mensah and Montrell Culbreath made their debuts in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. The other youth teams also contributed great performances and a number of trophies to the collective Black and Red success, while the successful Bayer 04 Future Kids project broke new ground. Read on for the 2025 review of the youth teams.
Show more
Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
Show more
A memorable 12 months: 2025 was a year marked by success, intense competition and groundbreaking innovations for the #B04eSports team. After ending the 2024/25 season as runners-up, the Leverkusen-based console pros got down to business in a new, completely restructured season model, in which showdowns rather than divisions were the decisive factor on the road to the final round of the German Club Championship. Bayer 04 quickly earned a place in the history books of the most prestigious competition in German eSports and secured some valuable advantages for the coming year. Bayer04.de takes a look back at 12 months full of passion and the determination to take the next step.
Show more
Sustainability once again had many faces at Bayer 04 in 2025: In community activity, the club supported countless regional campaigns, including the Leverkusener Tafel, the Frauenennotruf Leverkusen e.V. and the homeless aid organisation "Kältegang". But the Black and Reds have also been involved in good causes around the world - including the Young Coaches training programmes in Uganda and Ecuador plus the Genuine World Cup in the USA, where the Inclusion Werkself competed. Bayer 04 was also fully committed to the environment and underwent external and independently certification in accordance with the European environmental management standard EMAS, for example, to analyse and optimise the club’s environmental efforts. Looking back at sustainability in 2025.
Show more
