"That makes it almost impossible,” said Patrick Vieira last Thursday after his team lost 3-1 to Slavia Prague. Nevertheless: only “almost”. To go through to the Round of 32 in the Europa League, his team have to make up six points on the Werkself in the remaining two games – and also at least equal the 6-2 scoreline in the first meeting, that means winning 4-0 or 5-1 on Thursday. As the first game against Slavia Prague ended in a 3-2 defeat so did the head-to-head with the Czechs; the only points gained so far in the group stage came from a 1-0 win against Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
Nice have also failed to fire on all cylinders in Ligue 1 since the game at the BayArena. Back then, Nice were fourth in the French top-flight but they slipped eleventh at the weekend – after a 3-1 home defeat at bottom-placed Dijon. “We’re in a difficult phase,” admitted Vieira at the post-match press conference. “We have to stick together and work even harder to turn it round.”
One definite reason for the current poor form of the French side: the serious injury to their captain and key defender Dante. The former Bundesliga player suffered a torn cruciate in a 3-0 win against Angers at the start of November and faces several months on the sidelines. After the shock injury, Nice have lost all four games with the defence conceding eleven goals without their leader. The team has also been hit hard by coronavirus: A number of players tested positive in the middle of November and the league match against Olympique Marseille had to be postponed. The majority of the players affected are now back in the squad.
Just in time for the start of the school year, everyone was hard at work again at NaturGut Ophoven. For the 21st time, Bayer 04 have supported the annual ‘BioBrotbox’ campaign, which puts together a healthy breakfast for first-year primary school pupils in Leverkusen – and not only contributed 1,904 muesli bars but also plenty of enthusiasm too: Together with the U19 players Burak Kir and Clinton Wilson, Emily Wallrabenstein and Paulina Platner from the Women’s Bundesliga team helped with the packing. The latter was clearly delighted “that Bayer 04 are helping out with regional projects like this and showing their commitment to the local community”.
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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.
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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.
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“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.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 4-0 win against Union Berlin on Matchday 2 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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