The first game against Real Betis was two weeks ago. With temperatures over 30 degrees in Andalusian sunshine, the Black and Reds battled for a deserved point thanks to a late equaliser from Robert Andrich. The return match at the BayArena between the two top teams in Group G is to be played in Leverkusen with the temperature at 10 and rain is forecast. "That won't make any difference to the two teams," said Werkself head coach Gerardo Seoane. Real Betis have an experienced team who can handle it.
The Swiss coach gained an impression of how his players would deal with the weather predicted for Thursday night at the final pre-match training session on Wednesday morning. Jonathan Tah and Co. completed a thorough warm-up routine in cold and wet weather with a temperature of ten degrees before moving on to various drills involving the ball. The session ended with shooting drills and practising set-pieces.
The youngsters Iker Bravo and Zidan Sertdemir were amongst the 18 outfield players who took part in the final session at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium ahead of the Europa League match. They will however not be in the matchday squad. The new signings cannot be selected via the so-called B list. This is only allowed for youth players who have been with their club for the previous two years without break. Bravo joined Bayer 04 from the Barcelona La Masia academy in the summer, Sertdemir came in from the Danish club FC Nordsjaelland.
Not only the Werkself can rely on support from their fans in the stands on Thursday night. The visitors from Spain are also bringing spectators to the BayArena – 603 in total. We wish them a warm welcome to Leverkusen.
Anthony Taylor is the referee for tomorrow's match. The 43-year-old Englishman has been in charge of games in the Premier League since 2010. On the European stage he has refereed matches involving five German clubs – but not Bayer 04. Jonathan Tah and Nadiem Amiri came across Taylor in 2015: The two Werkself first-team players were in the Germany U19 team at the European Championships and they started the game against the Netherlands that ended in a 1-0 victory under the Englishman.
Taylor’s fellow countrymen Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn are the assistant referees and Stuart Attwell is the VAR official. Have a successful match.
Back to the youngster Iker Bravo. The Spanish centre-forward won the vote for Bayer 04 Goal of the Month in October. His wonderful overhead kick in the U19 home game against Fortuna Düsseldorf (3-1) at 2-1 impressed the fans. The 16-year-old also netted the equaliser before that. Congratulations, Iker. You can enjoy the gem again HERE.
The Bayer 04 Women progressed to the DFB Cup quarter-finals last Sunday after a 7-6 win on penalties, which could not have been more exciting. A central role in the penalty shootout was played by Leverkusen's keeper Anna Klink. The 26-year-old held her nerve and was able to save two Hoffenheim penalties. Congratulations, Anna. You can watch the two saves again HERE.
Jermaine Jones is 40 years old today. The former USA international played on loan for the Werkself in 2004/05 and he made 15 appearances for the Bayer 04 second team as well as nine appearances for the senior team. Many happy returns.
The Bayer 04 family also remember Gero Bisanz. The Polish-born manager would have been 86 years old today. Bisanz worked as the Werkself coach from 1971 to 1973. He later went on to coach the Germany Women's team and with them he won the European Championships in 1989, 1991 and 1995. In 1995, he also led the team to the World Cup final where they finished runners-up.
In the first episode of the new interview series "A New Chapter", Werkself defender Jarell Quansah reflects on his first few months under the Cross and speaks about his journey from England to Leverkusen. Having come through the ranks at Liverpool, a new chapter began for Quansah in the summer at Bayer 04 — with new objectives, fresh challenges and much ambition. In the video, the centre-back speaks about his development as a player and person, about the courage to leave your own comfort zone, and about what it means for him to be part of an international team in a different country. Honest, reflective and full of motivation — just like the start of his Werkself career.
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Full focus on Hoffenheim: after the late postponement of the away match at Hamburger SV, the Werkself are looking forward. To get themselves in top shape for the key clash at top-six rivals TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday 17 January (kick-off 15:30 CET), a number of players showed full commitment even on a day off - including two AFCON returnees...
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After Rio de Janeiro, it's off to Thuringia: This summer, Bayer 04 Leverkusen will prepare for the 2026/27 football season in Germany. While Brazil was the destination last year, the Werkself will now set up their training camp in Blankenhain, just outside Erfurt, from 1 to 7 August 2026.
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Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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Due to the last-minute postponement of the Bundesliga match between Hamburg and the Werkself on Tuesday, 13 January, Bayer 04 will reimburse the ticket price to all 3,500 fans who had already travelled to Hamburg as a sign of appreciation. The tickets remain valid for the rescheduled match (date not yet set).
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