Lukas Hradecky and Co. will find out the next hurdle on the European stage on Friday afternoon 25 February. The draw for the Round of 16 will be made at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon from noon CET. The group winners in the Europa League, alongside Bayer 04 including Bundesliga rivals Eintracht Frankfurt, are drawn in pot one. Pot two has the winners of the play-off round, all the runners-up in the Europa League and teams finishing third in the Champions League groups. In addition to RB Leipzig and Real Betis there are the following seven clubs.
The Werkself could face an opponent from the group stage in the current Europa League campaign in the shape of Real Betis. The runners-up in Group G, who had three points less than the Black and Reds, beat the Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg in the play-offs (3-2, 0-0). The team under head coach Gerardo Seoane drew 1-1 away to the team currently third in La Liga and that was followed by a convincing 4-0 victory at home.
Bayer 04 played Rangers the season before – also in the Round of 16. Leverkusen won 3-1 at Ibrox and that was followed by a 1-0 win at the BayArena. The team currently lying second in Scotland's top flight secured a surprise win against Dortmund in the play-offs (4-2, 2-2).
To be fair, FC Barcelona sounds more like the Champions League rather than the Europa league. However, the top club from Spain only finished third behind Bayern Munich and Benfica in their Champions League group. In the Round of 32 there was a 1-1 draw in the first leg against Napoli that was followed by a 4-2 victory in Italy. The last game between the Werkself and the Catalan side was back on 9 December 2015 – a 1-1 draw at Leverkusen.
Bayer 04 could also draw Sevilla. The record Europa League winners (four titles since 2014) also dropped down from the Champions League. Thanks to a 3-1 in the first leg of the play-offs against Dynamo Zagreb, the 1-0 defeat in the second leg against the top Croatian side did not affect the outcome of the tie.
The Portuguese league is always ranked behind the top five leagues in UEFA's five-year assessment. The following four top clubs are the normal representatives on the European stage: Benfica, Sporting Club, FC Porto and Sporting Braga. The Werkself can face the latter two clubs in the Round of 16. Porto beat Lazio (2-1, 2-2), Braga overcame the surprise team Sheriff Tiraspol (2-0, 3-2 on penalties).
Atalanta are well-known to the majority of football clubs in Europe from previous years. However, the Werkself have never played the club from northern Italy. Atalanta finished third in their Champions League group and then made progress through the Europa League play-off round against Olympiakos (2-1, 3-0).
The Europa League Round of 16 first leg matches will be played on Thursday 10 March with the second legs a week later on 17 March. Bayer 04 are away first.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have loaned new signing Luca Erlein to newly promoted FC Energie Cottbus for the 2026/27 season. This will give him the opportunity to play in Bundesliga 2. The club signed the 19-year-old right-back on a permanent basis last week, on a contract to 30 June 2030.
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Trophies as a youth, appearances in the pro game and his first taste of international competition: new arrival Luca Erlein, who has been signed from TSG Hoffenheim, can already look back on some remarkable achievements and moments in his fledgling career. We take a closer look at the 19-year-old right-back, who can also fill other roles across the defensive line.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Germany U19 international Luca Erlein from Hoffenheim. The 19-year-old right-back, who is capable of playing in various defensive positions, has penned a contract until 30 June 2030.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen has a new coffee partner. The club has agreed a long-term partnership with the Bocholt-based roastery Imping, running to 30 June 2031. The exclusive partnership with the family-run business includes the installation of fully automatic coffee machines at the BayArena, as well as the right to supply and serve coffee products in the business areas during Werkself home games.
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