Slavia Prague come to the BayArena for the final game in the group full of confidence. The team under Jindrich Trpisovsky secured a 3-0 win in the top match in the Czech Republic on Sunday night in the derby against city rivals Sparta who are also Slavia’s main pursuers in the league. A brace from the 19-year-old winger Abdallah Sima, just a substitute in the previous game against Bayer 04, put his team on course for victory before half-time with Ondrej Lingr netting the third goal in the second half. "The lads produced a great performance," declared a happy coach Trpisovsky.
The victory has extended Slavia’s lead over Sparta to five points and – like Bayer 04 in Germany – they are unbeaten this season with an outstanding goal difference of 30 for and just three against. The same applies in the Europa League since the 1-0 win against the Werkself at the end of October with the Czech Republic side clocking up wins against Nice (3-2, 3-1) and Hapoel Be'er Sheva (3-0) and they are still top of the table. Trpisovsky will have to manage without Tomas Malinsky on Thursday. The winger, who started in the previous match against Bayer 04 and also made his debut for the Czech Republic this season, is out of action with a muscle injury. However, they have a first class replacement: Since Malinsky's injury, the Senegalese Sima, who was in the second team until the end of September, is playing on the right wing – where he has not only scored a brace in the derby but also at least one goal in each of Slavia’s last six games including all three Europa League ties. The Werkself will definitely have to keep an eye out for this whizz-kid.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day six (Friday 7 August) is as follows: This morning, the squad completed their final training session – this time behind closed doors – here in Blankenhain, before heading back to Leverkusen after lunch. The big season launch is scheduled for tomorrow.
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