Bayer 04 relaid the pitch at the BayArena during the international break and the Werkself tested it out for the first on Wednesday afternoon during the final pre-match training session. “We need a good surface for our possession football. That could be to our advantage tomorrow,” declared Peter Bosz at the pre-match press conference.
Players unable to enjoy the new surface on Thursday night include long-term absentees through injury Charles Aránguiz, Santiago Arias, Exequiel Palacios and Paulinho plus a defensive trio: Edmond Tapsoba is still self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, Lars and Sven Bender are also sidelined due to injury. “With all three, it’s too early to say if they will be fit for the weekend” said Bosz, who has again brought U19 striker Emrehan Gedikli into his squad.
“I’m expecting an intensive and good game,” said winger Leon Bailey who was also on the top table in the media centre at the BayArena. Like several of his teammates, the Jamaican returned from national duty a few days ago. Given the current number of games for the players, head coach Bosz highlighted the importance of easing workloads on Wednesday ahead of the forthcoming double-fixture weeks.
One option for the Dutchman, already used against Be’er Sheva, is Patrik Schick. After four weeks out injured, the Czech joins Lucas Alario as a possible starter in the centre of the attack. Bosz added: “But perhaps he could come on. We’ll build him up step-by-step.”
The Werkself will want to continue their winning run against Israeli teams in Europe against Be’er Sheva with a fourth victory over teams from that country – and put themselves another three points clear of the other teams in Group C. “Our group is very exciting. All four teams have already won and we’re all bunched together in the table. If we win tomorrow – and we have to at home – we’ll take a big step,” said Bosz.
Match information:
Broadcasters: RTL Nitro, DAZN and Werks11 Radio
Referee: Pawel Gil (Poland)
Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 3-2 win against Werder Bremen on Matchday 6 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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Thanks to a thrilling second-half comeback, the Bayer 04 women’s team secured their first home win this term. Against Werder Bremen, the Werkself stepped up their game significantly after the break and turned a two-goal deficit into a 3–2 win. Cornelia Kramer (54’, 56’) and Lobke Loonen (81’) scored the goals that earned coach Roberto Pätzold’s team their first points at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium in the current Bundesliga season.
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A commanding performance: In a friendly during the international break, Bayer 04 defeated third-division newcomers SC Fortuna Köln 6–0. Martin Terrier and Patrik Schick scored twice each with Nathan Tella and Miguel Gutiérrez netting the other goals for Leverkusen. Due to preparations at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium for tonight’s Bayer 04 women’s Bundesliga home game against Werder Bremen (kick-off: 18:30 CEST), the fixture against the Cologne side was played at the Werkself training ground.
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