The Werkself could reach the final of a major European competition for the third time in the club's history today, having previously achieved this in 1987/88 in the UEFA Cup and in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League.
Roma, meanwhile, could become the third team to reach the UEFA Europa League final in consecutive seasons after Benfica (2012/13 and 2013/14) and Sevilla (2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16). To do that, the Italian club will have to improve on their record on German soil: Roma have not won any of their previous six European away games against German sides, scoring just six goals in the process.
After the semi-final first leg, Roma were back in league action on Sunday at home to Juventus. With a much-changed starting line-up, including a completely reshaped defence, the Giallorossi drew 1-1 with the third-placed 'Old Lady', Romelu Lukaku scoring the goal for the hosts. Given the tight situation in the Serie A table, the point wasn't enough for coach Daniele De Rossi, "because a draw doesn't help us currently". The result saw AS slip from the fifth Champions League spot to sixth as rivals Atalanta won their match. There's more on Roma in our opposition check.
For Bayer 04 fans attending the second leg, there'll be a fan fest on Rathaus-Platz in Wiesdorf from 13:30, organised by the Nordkurve12 fan group. As well as atmospheric music, there'll be cold drinks and a range of food on offer. The event will finish around 18:30 with a march to the BayArena.
Danny Makkelie from the Netherlands is the referee for tonight's encounter. The 41-year-old official will be assisted by compatriots Hessel Steegstra and Jan de Vries on the touchlines and Rob Dieperink as the VAR.
Following the Bundesliga clash against RB Leipzig (Sunday, 20 September, 15:30 CEST), some of the Werkself first team players will be heading off for the first international break of the season. Here is an overview of the Bayer 04 players called up for their national teams and all the details of their upcoming matches.
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A special visit to the BayArena: 222 members from volunteer fire brigades in Leverkusen, the Rheinisch-Bergisch district and the Oberbergisch district watched the Werkself’s 2–0 home win over Slovenian champions NK Celje live in the stadium. Bayer 04 had invited them to the 2026/27 Europa League opener as a thank-you for their tremendous dedication. They watched the match together in Block F4.
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The Bayer 04 U19s have extended their winning run with a fifth consecutive victory on Matchday 5 of the DFB Youth League’s preliminary round. Coach Patrick Greveraars’ side secured a 3–2 (2–1) win in their match against second-placed FC Viktoria Köln, with Burak Kir and Nebe Domnic scoring for the hosts in the first half before captain Ben Hawighorst found the net after the break.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
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For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
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