The first leg in Switzerland will be played on Thursday 18 February. The second leg at the BayArena is a week later on Thursday 25 February. UEFA will confirm the kick-off times of 18.55 CET or 21.00 CET shortly.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes: “This draw is very interesting. Switzerland against Germany - that always has its appeal. The Young Boys Bern are not to be underestimated. They’re showing their class as the leaders in the Swiss league. We’re looking forward to the games. Our clear target is to go through to the Round of 16.”
Bayer 04 finished top of Group C with 15 points; the narrow 1-0 defeat with ten men at Slavia Prague is the only reverse for the Werkself this term. The team under head coach Peter Bosz also set a new German record with 21 goals scored in the group stage of the Europa League.
Round of 32 draw in full:
Wolfsberger AC (Austria) v Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine) v Club Brugge (Belgium)
Real Sociedad (Spain) v Manchester United (England)
Benfica (Portugal) v Arsenal (England)
Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) v AC Milan (Italy)
Royal Antwerp (Belgium) v Rangers (Scotland)
Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) v Leicester City (England)
FC Salzburg (Austria) v Villarreal (Spain)
SC Braga (Portugal) v AS Roma (Italy)
Young Boys Bern (Switzerland) v Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Germany)
FK Krasnodar (Russia) v Dinamo Zagreb (Serbia)
Molde FK (Norway) v TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Germany)
FC Granada (Spain) v Napoli (Italy)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) v Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
OSC Lille (France) v Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Olympiakos (Greece) v PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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