14 games, 32 points, top spot – Ferencváros are currently on track to win the Hungarian league title for a fourth time in succession. The team under head coach Peter Stöger have not lost a game in the OTP Bank Liga since matchday 10. However: The team from Budapest were only able to draw (1-1) with third-placed Puskas Akademia last Saturday following on from five successive victories in the league with clean sheets in every game. "We didn't get into the goalscoring areas. I would have liked to see more crosses into the penalty area," said Stöger, who used to coach FC Köln and Borussia Dortmund, about his team's lack of penetration.
Ferencváros have yet to pick up any points in the Europa League. With a goal difference of -8, the Hungarians are bottom of Group G. The Stöger team suffered a 2-1 defeat in the meeting at the BayArena and there were also no points against Real Betis (1-3, 0-2) and Celtic (0-2, 2-3). The game against the Werkself will therefore be the last Europa League night for the Budapest team this season as they are already out of the running for the next round.
Stöger will most probably have to manage without full-back Eldar Civic. The Bosnia-Herzegovina international suffered a serious injury against Puskas Akademia. And the 55-year-old will also be without the two midfield players Balint Vecsei and Somalia on Thursday.
There are legitimate hopes for Myrto Uzuni: The 26-year-old winger, previously sidelined for two games due to injury, made his comeback against Puskas Akademia with a 30-minute appearance from the bench. It is possible that he will be in the starting line-up against Bayer 04 – and that will give the hosts a boost in terms of threat on goal. Uzuni is the biggest threat in the Ferencváros squad having scored 20 goals and provided eight assists in 27 games.
The fact Ferencváros have only conceded 12 goals in five Europa League matches, one less than Celtic, is primarily down to the goalkeeper and captain Denes Dibusz. The 19-time Hungary international keeper is – measured on the number of saves – currently the best shot-stopper in the competition. In his four Europa League appearances, the 31-year-old has picked the ball out of the net nine times but he was also able to make a total of 20 saves.
Together with Cezary Miszta (Legia Warsaw) and Bayer 04 captain Lukas Hradecky, he has made the second highest number of saves amongst all the goalkeepers in the group stage – only Celtic's Joe Hart has made more (23). Dibusz will probably be able to extend his record against the Werkself; he is – in contrast to Hradecky, who is to be replaced by Andrey Lunev – set to be in the starting eleven.
Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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