Bayer 04 have never previously played a team from Azerbaijan. The last time the Black and Reds faced a club on the European stage from a previously unknown country was in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in 2015/16 when the Werkself beat BATE Borisov 4-1 at home.
While it is the first time for Leverkusen to meet an Azerbaijani club, Qarabag have played German teams six times. The side from the Caspian Sea lost five of those six matches and the last outing was a 1-1 draw against SC Freiburg in last season's group stage.
Top of the table in the national league, no points dropped in the Europa League: The Werkself face a tough opponent. Qarabag are currently leading the Premyer Liqasi, the Azerbaijani top-flight, with 20 points from ten games. Two wins in the first group matches in the Europa League puts the current champions of Azerbaijan second in Group H behind the Werkself.
Qarabag are particularly impressive in defence: They are one of only three teams yet to concede in the current Europa League campaign and they have the second best defence in their domestic league. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Anyone wanting to read key information before the game should take a look at the new Werkself Live. The matchday programme, offering the most important facts and stats on the game in compact form, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively it is available free online. Click HERE for the e-paper.
UEFA has appointed the Romanian referee Horatiu Fesnic as the match official in charge of the game against Qarabag. The 34-year-old will be assisted by his fellow countrymen Valentin Avram and Alexandru Cerei on the touchlines with the Portuguese referee Tiago Martins is in action as the VAR.
As usual, Werkself Radio is available for anybody unable to be at today's game. The audio broadcast begins 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep you up-to-date to ensure you don't miss any of the key match action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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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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In issue #56 of Werkself Magazine, Afonso Moreira offers some interesting insights into his home country, Portugal, as part of the ‘Sag mal’ (Tell me) feature. Among other things, the 21-year-old talks about his favourite places in the country on the Iberian Peninsula, the local cuisine and music, as well as heroes and historical figures beyond the world of football. ‘Sag mal’ with Afonso Moreira!
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