
In a change from the usual VBL format, the first game of the evening was played on Xbox Series S/X instead of PlayStation 5. Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ de Cae faced Bremen’s Ali ‘PREDATORFIFA’ Oskoui Rad – and he ended up losing 3-1 after 90 virtual minutes. The Black and Reds remained pointless after the following one-on-one match on PS5: Marc ‘MARC_LDW23’ Landwehr suffered a narrow 1-0 loss against Werder eSports player Max ‘DIVINERS’ Gröne.
Bayer 04 only rediscovered their defensive strength in the two-vs-two with Paul ‘B04_PAUL’ Degner playing alongside Landwehr. However, as no goals were scored, the doubles match ended goalless. "Of course, we hoped for more but now it's about beating Rostock," was the half-time assessment of Furkan ‘FURKY’ Kayacik, who was again in action as presenter and commentator on the live stream on the club’s Twitch channel Twitch.
The Leverkusen eSports players met Hansa Rostock for the first time later in the evening. The second division club in reality, put their team forward in the virtual top-flight for the first time this season in the VBL CC. The individual match on Xbox ended in a 3-3 draw. The following one-on-one on PlayStation saw Landwehr win for the Black and Reds and the two-vs-two brought the second draw of the night – the final score 2-2.
Leverkusen conceded nine goals against Bremen and Rostock. By comparison, only 19 were conceded in the previous eight matchdays – the least of all clubs in the North West division up to that point. That means the Werkself have now slipped down to sixth place but de Cae and Co. are still in a position to qualify for the Club Championship play-offs at the end of the season.

The first ten matchdays in the VBL Club Championship have been completed. There are no games next week and that is followed by the virtual derby against FC Köln. The first match against the Cologne team is on Tuesday, 21 December at 18.00 CET. The #B04eSports players only have one opponent on the night due to the odd number of clubs in each division. The competition continues in the New Year on 11 January.
Bayer 04 vs SV Werder Bremen 1-7
PlayStation 5: 0-1
Xbox Series S/X: 1-3
Doubles (PlayStation 5): 0-0
FC Hansa Rostock vs Bayer 04 2-5
PlayStation 5: 0-1
Xbox Series S/X: 3-3
Doubles (PlayStation 5): 2-2

Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
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For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
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European football returns to the BayArena: Bayer 04 host Slovenian champions NK Celje on matchday 1 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match on Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez and midfielder Aleix Garcia spoke at the pre-match press conference. The focus was primarily on the great anticipation surrounding the competition and the clear objectives for it – and, given the circumstances, on a last-minute change to the opposition line-up.
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The champions of Slovenia NK Celje are in a European competition for the fourth time in their history. This Wednesday, 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the side lead by head coach Vitor Campelos visit the BayArena for matchday 1 in the group stage in the UEFA Europa League. Celje’s last match at the weekend did not go to plan. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Construction work continues on the ‘Haus der Talente’ on Kurtekottenweg in Leverkusen, where 36 young elite athletes will find a new home from next summer. The building team from Temmink Bau, led by Thomas Wellers, are hard at work. Over the past few days, excavators, wheeled loaders and rollers have removed 2,500 cubic metres of soil to excavate the basement.
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