The Werkself, with three changes from the side in the Bundesliga match against VfL Wolfsburg (0-2), were alert from the start, compact in defence and they frustrated the opposition. The impressive Jeremie Frimpong put the ball in the net on 24 minutes but VAR intervened immediately and decided it was offside. But a Moussa Diaby strike just before half-time did count (42') – a deserved lead. The Frenchman scored again after the restart (52'), Florian Wirtz (86') and substitute Nadiem Amiri in the final minute added to the tally to secure a 4-0 win. An unpleasant end to the match: Real Betis player Nabil Fekir and Werkself playmaker Kerem Demirbay clashed in added time and were both shown the red card. The match report is HERE.
Head coach Gerardo Seoane not only praised the players on the pitch after the final whistle: "I'm very proud of the team. But also huge thanks to the fans who gave us fantastic support," said the 43-year-old. The Swiss coach said about the match-winner on the night Moussa Diaby: "His performance stands out with the two goals. But I'd like to stress how much he worked for the team."
Goalkeeper and captain Lukas Hradecky talked in a touchline interview about "a great team performance. We definitely wanted to win today and fought for it even more." Midfield dynamo Robert Andrich: "We very much played as a team today, gave little away, took our chances and deservedly won in the end. That was important."
Moussa Diaby played an inspired role on this Europa League night. Having missed Saturday's game against Wolfsburg due to suspension, the France international was directly involved in all four goals (two goals, two assists). "Above all, I'm happy about this win for the team," he explained after the match. 70 per cent of fans voted for the 22-year-old on the Bayer 04 app as the Man of the Match.
Diaby had his own small fan club in the stands for the game against Real Betis. A few hours before the Europa League match kicked off, there was a friendly at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre between the Bayer 04 U11s and youngsters from Esperance Paris 19, Diaby's youth team (up to his move to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2013). To celebrate the day, the Werkself player gave the children lots of shirts with the number 19 on – and he clapped hands with them after the end of the game at the south-east section of the BayArena.
Amine Adli and Co. had a total of 22 efforts on goal (Real Betis:15). The Seoane team had slightly less possession than the visitors from Andalusia (with 56 per cent) but the two teams were more or less level in pass completion on 83 per cent.
The Express reports a "Euro Gala". Furthermore, in relation to the previous five matches without a win for the Werkself, the journal adds: "The negative run was unrecognisable from the start for Bayer against a mediocre Spanish side."
Kicker highlighted Diaby as "outstanding" and named him "Man of the Match". Both the Rheinische Post as well as the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger awarded top marks for the winger's display. Meanwhile, the BILD tabloid made a play on words: "Leverkusen finally take off – with 'BayAirFrance'. Oui, oui, Diaby.".
The Werkself now return to Bundesliga action: Bayer 04 travel to the capital on Sunday, 7 November (kick-off: 15.30 CET). Jonathan Tah and Co. play Hertha Berlin. That is followed across Europe by the next international break.
Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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The Bayer 04 Women’s squad for the coming season is continuing to take shape: Centre-back Emily Wallrabenstein has moved to Leverkusen from Eintracht Frankfurt’s reserve team, who play in the Women’s Bundesliga 2. The 19-year-old has penned a contract until 30 June 2028.
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