The second round DFB Cup tie between the Werkself Women's team and the newly promoted side from Bundesliga 2 North, to be played between 25 and 27 September, will be the first meeting of the two clubs – and will also bring a reunion with two former Leverkusen players: Frederike Kempe and Gianna Rackow left the club in the summer to head east.
Leipzig came through the first round with a 10-0 victory against ATS Buntentor from the Regional League North. Bayer 04 are only now in the competition as one of the ten best-placed teams in the FLYERALARM Women's Bundesliga as they each received a bye.
The first two rounds of the cup are played in regional groups. The allocation of the qualified teams these groups is made by the DFB Committee for Women's and Girls’ football according to geographic criteria.
Northern Group:
SV Meppen (Women's Bundesliga 2) vs SGS Essen (Women's Bundesliga)
RB Leipzig (Women's Bundesliga 2) vs Bayer 04 (Women's Bundesliga)
Borussia Bocholt (Women's Bundesliga 2) vs SV Werder Bremen (Women's Bundesliga)
MSV Duisburg (Women's Bundesliga 2) vs VfL Wolfsburg (Women's Bundesliga)
DSC Arminia Bielefeld (Regional League West) vs FC Köln (Women's Bundesliga)
Hannover 96 (Regional League North) vs FFC Turbine Potsdam (Women's Bundesliga)
FSV Babelsberg 74 (Regional League North-East) vs Sportfreunde Siegen (Regional League West)
Hamburger SV (Regional League North) vs FSV Gütersloh (Women's Bundesliga 2)
Rostocker FC (Regional League North-East) vs SV Henstedt-Ulzburg (Women's Bundesliga 2)
Southern Group:
Hegauer FV (Oberliga Baden-Württemberg/Division 4) vs FC Carl Zeiss Jena (Women's Bundesliga)
SV Elversberg (Women's Bundesliga 2) vs FC Bayern München (Women's Bundesliga)
SG 99 Andernach (Women's Bundesliga 2) vs SC Sand (Women's Bundesliga)
FC Würzburger Kickers (Regional League South) vs TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Women's Bundesliga)
FC Nürnberg (Women's Bundesliga 2) vs SG Eintracht Frankfurt (Women's Bundesliga)
SpVgg Germania Ebing (North Bavaria State League/Division 5) vs SC Freiburg (Women's Bundesliga)
Wormatia Worms (Regional League South-West) vs Karlsruher SC (Regional League South)
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month.
Show more
Kasper Hjulmand has led the Werkself back to winning ways and is back in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League with Bayer 04 after the 3-0 win against Villarreal on Wednesday evening. In an interview with the Werkself magazine at the BayArena in the team meeting room, directly opposite the dressing room, he provided some special insights for the current issue, which was published in January. A conversation with the 53-year-old coach about values, attitudes and personal experiences as well as interests outside of football.
Show more
The thrilling 3-1 win for Bayer 04 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Hinrunde is a fond memory for Alejandro Grimaldo, with his brace from free kicks, and coach Kasper Hjulmand, who was in the dugout under the Cross for the first time. Now comes the return fixture in the metropolis on the River Main and after going out of the DFB Pokal and the Champions League, the full focus at Eintracht, currently managed by two interim coaches, is now on the Bundesliga. For their part, the Werkself will do everything in their power to continue the longest winning run against a Bundesliga club. The matchday news.
Show more
Bayer 04 have ended Artem Stepanov’s loan deal at Nürnberg and agreed a new loan to Utrecht in the Netherlands. The Ukrainian striker did not play as much as hoped for at the Bundesliga 2 club and will now continue his development in the Eredivisie for the rest of 2025/26.
Show more
The draw for the knockout play-offs of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League was made on Friday, 30 January and saw Bayer 04 paired with Olympiacos. It’s a reunion with the Greek side following the Werkself’s 2-0 loss in Athens on Matchday 7 of the league phase.
Show more
