The group stage of the Europa League is over. Bayer 04 and the other seven top teams are through to the Round of 16 and thereby avoid the Round of 32. The first leg of the Round of 16 will be played on Thursday, 10 March 2022. The second leg matches will be played a week later.
The second group stage will be played – without Bayer 04. The second-placed teams in the Europa League will face the third-placed teams in the Champions League groups on 17 and 24 February. The winners of those matches go through to the Round of 16 where they will play the eight group winners from the Europa League (including the Werkself).
The draw for the Europa League Round of 16, set to be held on 25 February, excludes two clubs from the same country playing each other. Accordingly, there are the following 14 possible opponents for the Werkself in the Round of 16:
Second-placed teams from the Europa League: Rangers, Real Sociedad, Napoli, Olympiakos, Lazio, Sporting Braga, Real Betis, Dinamo Zagreb.
Third-placed teams from the Champions League: FC Porto, FC Sheriff, Barcelona, Atalanta, FC Sevilla, Zenit St. Petersburg (not possible: Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig).
Europa League dates and fixtures:
Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.
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Attention, Werkself fans: the new Away Matchday Collection is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt. It includes t-shirts, zip tops and jackets.
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Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
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A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
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