UEFA have appointed the Serb Srdjan Jovanovic as the referee for this Round of 16 first leg encounter. The 35-year-old has refereed matches on the European stage involving Bundesliga teams Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt but this is the first time with Bayer 04. One current Werkself player has already been involved with the game under Jovanovic: Central defender Jonathan Tah played the full 90 minutes in the 2-0 win for Germany against Belarus in a Euros qualifier in June 2019.
Jovanovic, who has already been in charge of four Champions League games this season, will tonight be assisted by his fellow countrymen Uros Stojkovic and Milan Mihajlovic. Have a good game!
Atalanta's head coach Gian Piero Gasperini sees Bayer 04 as a strong opponent. The 64-year-old: "Leverkusen are a solid team, a fast, tough opponent who can attack and defend very well." Gasperini did follow last weekend's 1-1 draw for the Werkself at FC Bayern: "I watched them play FC Bayern: I saw a team full of young players including some very talented youngsters. They will be a tough nut to crack." The Italian club's coach is missing his attacking players Duván Zapata – equal top scorer for Atalanta in the league along with Mario Pasalic – and Josip Ilicic.
Atalanta's midfield maestro Marten De Roon, who is set to make appearance number 250 for the North Italian side tonight and who played alongside Daley Sinkgraven at SC Heerenveen, said ahead of the match against the Werkself: "Leverkusen are very strong and have lots of young talented players. We’ll have to be at our best as I can't see any big weaknesses in our opponents. We are always in a position to create goalscoring opportunities and score goals but it will be equally as important to keep a clean sheet."
According to the regional authorities in North Italy, a 75% capacity is permitted at the Gewiss Stadium tonight – 14,600 spectators will be at the game. 600 Leverkusen fans have purchased tickets and will be supporting the Werkself from the away end.
Let's look at today's venue with its striking characteristics: One stand is ultramodern and a second is being renovated in part, while the South Stand behind one of the goals – with a few cosmetic exceptions – is still in its original condition from the 1920s. The away end is in this almost historical stand.
This will not be the first match in Bergamo for goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky: In his time at Eintracht Frankfurt (2015 to 2018) there was a friendly between Atalanta and Eintracht in the summer of 2016. "Back then, Atalanta were on the way to the top in Italy and now they are a very experienced European side," said the Werkself skipper at yesterday's press conference. The friendly ended all square at 2-2.
While the majority the Werkself squad are preparing for the match in Bergamo, midfielders Robert Andrich and Julian Baumgartlinger worked hard on their comebacks in the shadow of the BayArena today. The duo completed an individual session with fitness coach Daniel Jouvin on Thursday morning. And striker Patrik Schick, who suffered a calf injury in the 3-2 defeat at Mainz 05, was also on the training ground.
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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From special edition jerseys to fan banners, the home game against Mainz 05 was all about the many Bayer 04 fan clubs. Accordingly, a fitting tribute to the long-standing Werkself supporters was not to be missed during half-time in the Bundesliga match. Fernando Carro, CEO, honoured the up to 50-year anniversaries of six fan clubs in front of the coaches' benches at the BayArena.
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It is an expression of solidarity and a tribute to the unique fan culture Under the Cross: Bayer 04 Leverkusen make a special statement with the "50 Years of Fan Clubs" jersey. To mark the founding of the "First Fan Club 1976 Leverkusen", which was followed by many more over the years right up to the present day, the Bundesliga club is commemorating 50 years of passion with this new jersey. Highs and lows, successes celebrated together as well as defeats suffered are manifested in this piece of white fabric, a symbol of unwavering identification with the Werkself.
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There’s lots going on at the BayArena today. The home game against FSV Mainz 05 is all about the numerous Bayer 04 fan clubs, whose birth - the founding of the "1. Fanclub 1976 Leverkusen" - dates back 50 years. A number of fan club representatives will be involved in awards, a banner display and a half-time matchday chat, and the Werkself are set to play in a special white fan club jersey. During half-time, Leverkusen mayor Stefan Hebbel and javelin world champion Steffi Nerius will also talk about the Olympic bid involving Leverkusen. Black and Red fans are advised to get to the stadium in good time today. Matchday news.
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The Werkself host Premier League club Arsenal in the Round of 16 first leg in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. The match at the BayArena is on 10/11 March. Read on for information on ticket sales for this fixture.
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