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.
A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
Show more
The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
Show more
“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
Show more
Bayer 04 produced a dominant and impressive 4-0 win over Union Berlin as they picked up three points in their first home game of the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign. Exequiel Fernández opened the scoring after only 41 seconds, with Facundo Medina doubling the lead before the half-hour mark. Patrik Schick and Ibrahim Maza continued the procession in the second period, in which Moussa Diaby came on for his first Leverkusen appearance for over three years.
Show more
