One day to go before Gerardo Seoane, the Swiss head coach at the Werkself, stands on the touchline at the Bruno Plache Stadium in Leipzig. A crowd of over 6,000, including 500 from Leverkusen, will make themselves heard from the stands on Saturday from 15.30 CEST. "We are all very much looking forward to be able to experience the atmosphere and emotion of the crowd," declared Seoane at the pre-match press conference on Friday. "It feels very different. It will definitely be special, above all for the youngest in the team who haven't played a first-team game in front of spectators before."
Head coach Seoane will have to manage without six of his players in the clash with the fourth tier team from Leipzig. While Jonathan Tah is suspended, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Edmond Tapsoba are still ruled out through injury. Also sidelined are Lucas Alario and new signing Mitchel Bakker with minor injuries. In addition, Paulinho is in the Olympic Games final with Brazil against Spain in Japan on Saturday afternoon at 13.30 CEST. “With the players where there were slight doubts after the week of training, we are assuming they will be able to play," said Seoane.
The Werkself are set to face underdogs FC Lokomotive Leipzig whose coach Almedin Civa described the Leverkusen draw as a "gift". His opposite number Seoane believes there will be a "classic cup tie" at the Bruno Plache Stadium. The Bayer 04 head coach added: "Leipzig will be highly motivated for the tie. We have to go into the game with the same aggression as them and then win the match by the quality of our play."
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky and Werkself Radio
Referee: The match officials will be announced on the day of the game
The situation ahead of the showdown is clear - and promising. The Bayer 04 U19s host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday of the 2025/26 UEFA Youth League phase. A win at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium would see the Werkself go through to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time. Ahead of the clash on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/livestream on bayer04.de and in the Bayer 04 app), coach Kevin Brok spoke about the successful build-up, his assessment of the match and the danger of underestimating the already eliminated English side.
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In the sixth and final match of the league phase of the UEFA Youth League 2025/26, the Bayer 04 U19s have a great opportunity to advance to the knockout phase of Europe’s most prestigious youth competition for the first time. To achieve that under their own steam, they will need a win against Newcastle United at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/ free admission). In an interview with bayer04.de, managing director sport Simon Rolfes analyses the team's performances so far and their special situation. And the 43-year-old reveals what he would be happy to do without on the day of the match.
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The next opponents in the 2025/26 DFB Pokal have been announced: Bayer 04 will host Bundesliga rivals FC St. Pauli in the quarter-finals. That was the outcome of the draw held this Sunday evening, 7 December, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund, where long-time Bundesliga player and coach Friedhelm Funkel made the draw. The Werkself will play their quarter-final tie on 3-4 or 10-11 February 2026. The exact dates have yet to be finalised.
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