“No miracle of Bern despite comeback”– the press again and again refer to the history of the venue after the clash at the legendary Wankdorf Stadium in Bern. Germany were the surprise winners of the 1954 World Cup final in the Swiss capital. The headline mentioned above is followed in the Bild by the view: “A debacle threatened. Then came a crazy comeback.”
“Debacle” because the Werkself were 3-0 down at half-time after goals scored by Christian Fassnacht (3’), Jordan Siebatcheu (19’) and Meschack Elia (44’). “Crazy comeback,” as the visitors showed great resolve in the second half in fighting back to get on level terms within just 20 minutes. Patrik Schick with a brace (49’, 52’) and Moussa Diaby (68’) netted for the Black and Reds.
The Kölnische Rundschau headline reads, “Role reversal at the Wankdorf Stadium.” And furthermore: “Bayer 04 Leverkusen prevented the next setback at this historic venue and have every chance of reaching the Round of 16 in the Europa League despite a desolate first half.” In the second leg on Thursday, 25 February (kick-off: 21.00 CET) a win with less than three goals conceded is required at the BayArena.
The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reports that the Bayer 04 comeback went unrewarded on the night. In relation to the opening stages of the game, the paper writes: “Young Boys created a breathtaking number of dangerous moments from open play. […] Bayer 04 escaped unharmed from several counter-attacks due to a combination of luck and squandered opportunities by Bern.”
After last weekend’s 2-2 draw in the Bundesliga home game against FSV Mainz 05, the media were already talking a about a rollercoaster ride. The Werkself have so far constantly switched between victories and setbacks in 2021. The Rheinische Post also takes up this theme in their review of the Europa League tie – this time just in relation to the one match: “If the team under coach Peter Bosz want to stay in the competition then they have to win. That it will not be easy is clear after the rollercoaster ride in the first leg.”
The Bayer 04 Round of 16 tie in the 2026/27 DFB Pokal has been scheduled. The Werkself will host Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig on Wednesday, 2 December, at 18:00 CET. That was announced by the German Football Association (DFB).
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Video game developer Electronic Arts (EA), in collaboration with the Bundesliga, has announced the six nominees for the Bundesliga Player of the Month award for October 2026 – and Bayer 04’s Ibrahim Maza is among them. Fans of the Black and Reds can vote from now until Sunday 8 November (23:59 CET).
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On Tuesday night, the Leverkusen e-sports team played the first three of their six group stage matches in the second round of the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship. They were unable to secure more than a draw in either of their matches against FC Augsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The match against Bayern Munich ended in defeat.
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Once again, several Werkself players are set to represent their respective national teams during the final international break of the calendar year. Here is an overview of the Leverkusen players called up for international duty and the match dates. This will be updated regularly.
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