Molde have won both of their previous Europa League visits to Germany, beating VfB Stuttgart in December 2012 and Hoffenheim in February 2021. However, they now come up against the only team yet to drop a point in this year’s competition. Arsenal in 2020/21 were the last team to complete a perfect Europa League group stage with six wins from six. The only German team to ever achieve the feat was Eintracht Frankfurt in 2018/19.
The Norwegians are second in the Group H scoring chart with 11 goals, behind Bayer 04 (14). Kristian Eriksen is their main man with four goals, which is as many as Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface.
Molde recently won the Norwegian Cup for the sixth time in their history, beating newly crowned league champions Bodo/Glimt 1-0 in the final last weekend. It was a nice end to a season that perhaps didn’t quite go to plan as the reigning Norwegian champions only finished fifth in the Eliteserien to miss out on European qualification there. They finished 10 points off the European places and 19 behind new champions Bodo/Glimt. However, winning the cup will see them enter the first rounds of qualifying for the 2024/25 Europa League.
All options are still on the table for Molde in Europe this season, however. If they manage to better Qarabag’s result at home to Häcken at the same time on Thursday, they will claim second place and a spot in the knockout rounds play-offs. Otherwise, the Norwegians will be in the UEFA Europa Conference League. You can find out more about today’s opponents in our profile piece.
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 HERE.
UEFA have appointed England’s Robert Jones as the referee for tonight’s Molde clash. His assistants are compatriots Neil Davies and James Mainwaring. The VAR is Dennis Higler of the Netherlands.
As usual, Werkself Radio is available for anybody unable to be at today's game. The audio broadcast in German begins 30 minutes before kick-off. The half-time guest is former Bayer 04 player Arne Larsen Ökland, who spent three years in Leverkusen and famously scored a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in March 1981.
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 on bayer04.de and in the Bayer 04 app.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 4-0 win at SGS Essen on the 24th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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Bayer 04 put in a brilliant performance to beat RB Leipzig 4-1 on Bundesliga matchday 32 and are now fourth in a Champions League spot. The Black and Reds took control of the game right from the start and, with 75 per cent possession at one stage, took a 2-0 lead into the break through Patrik Schick (25’) and Nathan Tella (45+1’). The visitors initially tried to do more after the break, but the Werkself remained determined and Schick scored his second goal to increase the lead to 3-0 (76'). The Red Bulls pulled a goal back through Christoph Baumgartner (80'), but the disciplined Leverkusen side were not rattled - and certainly not Schick: The Czechia international crowned a brilliant display with his third goal shortly before the final whistle to make the final score 4-1.
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In the previous game against RB Leipzig in December last year, the Werkself turned came from behind to win 3-1 and further improved Leverkusen's already strong record against the Red Bulls. Montrell Culbreath stood out with his first goal on his debut for the Black and Reds. While the 18-year-old would certainly like to score a second goal against Leipzig on Saturday night, the attack-minded visitors come to the BayArena in confident mood after five Bundesliga victories in a row. The Nordkurve12 supporters group knows the Werkself will therefore once again be reliant on the vociferous support of the fans, and has once again called for the ‘Finally Red’ campaign in the run-in. Today’s matchday news.
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Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA), together with the German Football League (DFL), announced the top male and female selections for the 2025/26 Bundesliga season this week. Bayer 04 striker Vanessa Fudalla is in the starting eleven of the women's "Team of the Season". Alejandro Grimaldo and Aleix Garcia have been selected as bench players in the men's team.
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