It is not only the final match of the year but also the last match in this competition for one of the two clubs: When Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer 04 meet in the DFB Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday (kick-off 18.30 CET) one thing is certain. There will only be one winner! Borussia have the better record in the German domestic cup competition up to now: In the previous five Cup ties with the Werkself, Gladbach have progressed to the next round four times – twice on penalties and once after extra time. It is to be expected the two teams will be on equal terms going into this tie. The 5-1 win for Leverkusen two months ago at Borussia Park may not be a blueprint for Wednesday’s encounter although the heavy defeat on the their own turf is a subject for discussion. “All of our players remember it. We all want to win now to restore our honour,” said Thorgan Hazard, the in-form striker for the Foals.
Heiko Herrlich is also fully aware that Gladbach have a score to settle with their rivals down the Rhine. “There won’t be anybody at Borussia who would say we don’t stand a chance after the 5-1. Gladbach will definitely think they’re in with a chance. And you have to say we were lucky in the first half of the league game in October that we weren’t 2-0 or more down at the break. We were on fire in the second half but weren’t good in the first,” said the Bayer 04 head coach at the pre-match press conference at the Media Centre in the Bay Arena, broadcast live as usual on bayer04.de and Facebook. The Werkself coach maintained that match did show his team “that it is possible to overcome the hurdle at Borussia Park and win there. It’s an all-or-nothing match and you can’t share points in the Cup. You go through or go out and that’s what makes this competition so exciting.”
There will definitely be changes in the Werkself line-up. Skipper Lars Bender is almost certainly ruled out of the game at Mönchengladbach but there is a possibility that his brother Sven will be able to play. “It’s not looking good for Lars as his knee is too swollen and it wouldn’t make sense,” said Herrlich, “with Sven, we’ll have to see if he can stand the pain after he took another blow to the ribs at Hannover. One thing is clear: The health of the players comes first so we won’t take any risks.”
After a three-match ban in the Bundesliga, left back Wendell is back in the squad and Charles Aránguiz is an option after recovering from a torn calf. “Charly trained yesterday and I assume his calf will stand up to it. I hope he can be in our squad on Wednesday,” said the Bayer 04 boss.
Bayer 04 will have the support of 2,730 fans at Borussia Park on Wednesday night.
A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
Show more
The Werkself have reached at least the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal in each of the last three years. The Black-and-Reds would like to make it to the final four of the competition again this season, but to do that they'll need to overcome 1. FC Nürnberg in round two, who travel to the BayArena with momentum following a successful league campaign so far. However, Bayer have a 100 percent record at home in all competitions this season - and have also won six of their last seven home matches in the Pokal. The Matchday News.
Show more
Back at home in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal, Bayer 04 host FC Nürnberg at the BayArena. The match against the current second-placed side in Bundesliga 2 is on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45 CET. Ahead of the game, head coach Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about his anticipation of the clash in front of a home crowd. The Spaniard also commented on a number of personnel matters, including Ibrahim Maza and Montrell Culbreath, plus the visitors’ coach, Miroslav Klose.
Show more
Now in their third season under head coach Miroslav Klose, FC Nürnberg are among the promotion contenders in Bundesliga 2. On Wednesday 28 October (kick-off: 20:45 CET), the team currently second in the table are away to Bayer 04 in the second round of the DFB Pokal. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show more
Werkself player Ibrahim Maza has been named in the top ten in the ‘Men’s Young Talent of the Year’ category for 2026. The 20-year-old was at the London Palladium on Monday evening for the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony. Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, also attended the ceremony. Lamine Yamal of Barcelona was named the winner in the ‘Men’s Young Talent of the Year’ category.
Show more
