
Bayer 04 suffered a last-minute defeat in the first leg against AS Monaco: Axel Disasi only scored the 3-2 winner for Monaco in the second minute of added time. "Of course it hurts that we didn't win the first leg," said Xabi Alonso. "But I've seen in the preparation for the second leg over the last few days that all the players are absolutely ready to fight for victory tomorrow. We definitely want to go through to the next round!” The Werkself will be supported by around 750 visiting fans at the Stade Louis II.
When asked about the heated final moments in the first leg, Alonso explained: "Tomorrow we have to find the right balance between emotion and control. We learned a lot from the first leg, so we have a clear plan for tomorrow. It’s important we take risks at the right time.”
At the press conference, some details of Moussa Diaby and Patrik Schick were met with great interest from the media representatives. Centre forward Schick, who has been injured since November, was on the pitch for more than half an hour last weekend against Mainz and scored to equalise for the Werkself 2-2. “We were all very happy about that. Of course, he will need some time to get back to top form. But we see him on a very good path,” explained Xabi Alonso.
Moussa Diaby, on the other hand, had to sit out against Mainz due to a small muscle injury from the Monaco first leg. However, the France international was able to complete parts of the final training session today and travelled to Monaco. Alonso spoke about the chances of using the lightning-fast winger in the second leg: "Tomorrow we will weigh up the risks with the medical department and Moussa."

Will Bayer 04 emulate their away wins at Benfica and Manchester City? Newcastle United are the visitors at a sold-out BayArena on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET/live on Werkself Radio) to round off the UEFA Champions League games for the year. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke in advance about the momentum in Europe's premier club competition and gave an encouraging personnel update. Jarell Quansah also spoke about his experiences playing against Nick Woltemade and his wish for the Bayer 04 fans.
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Newcastle United have amassed nine points after five matchdays, one more in the UEFA Champions League than the Werkself. The Magpies are also steadily improving in the Premier League, where they're currently unbeaten in four games. On Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Eddie Howe's side will be the visitors at the BayArena. He's also likely to field two Germany internationals in the game. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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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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The Werkself will host VfB Stuttgart at the BayArena on matchday 16 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. The game is on Saturday, 10 January, at 18:30 CET. Information on ticket sales.
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The Werkself will host Werder Bremen at the BayArena on matchday 19 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. The game is on Saturday, 24 January, at 15:30 CET. Information on ticket sales.
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