Back
26.04.2025Werkself-TV

Alonso ahead of #B04FCA: “The fans deserve a good performance”

The first of the Werkself’s remaining 04 fixtures of this season comes on Saturday at home to Augsburg (kick-off: 3.30pm CEST). Ahead of the Matchday 31 encounter, head coach Xabi Alonso reflected on previous weeks, spoke about goals for the remainder of the campaign and also Jonathan Tah.

Display videos

Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.

“I’m not pleased with the football we’ve played in the last two weeks and hope we put in a better display tomorrow against Augsburg,” Alonso said at Friday’s press conference. “We’ve worked hard and now want to give our all again. The fans deserve a good performance.”

Alonso: “Want to have fun again”

Leverkusen are up against one of the Bundesliga’s form teams in Augsburg, who are enjoying the best season in their top-flight history with 42 points from 30 games. Their points haul for 2025 ranks them third behind Bayern Munich and Bayer 04, while they have lost only one of their last 14 matches and none at all on the road this calendar year.

Going into this game and the final three afterwards, Alonso said he wants the team to “have fun playing football again. Our feeling right now isn’t the best. We had a big objective in our minds. Now we need to create new goals. We want to end the season as well as possible.”

Alonso on Tah: “Top professional, top player, top person”

Alonso will be without Nordi Mukiele and Alejo Sarco, as well as long-term absentees Jeanuel Belocian, Martin Terrier and Mario Hermoso. All other players are fit and have “trained well,” according to the Spaniard.

When asked about central defender Tah, Alonso stated: “We need to respect his decision. He’s earned the right to decide his own future. His attitude, his professionalism and his consistency this season have been incredible. He’s been really important for me since the first day. I can only thank him for what he’s given us and the club. He’s a top professional, a top player and a top person.”

Sold-out home section – ‘Finally Red’ campaign

The home section of the BayArena is sold out for Saturday, with around 600 fans travelling from Augsburg.

Finally Red

The Nordkurve12 fan group has also created the ‘Finally Red’ campaign for the end of this season. Werkself fans should come to the stadium for both home and away matches wearing red. There will be T-shirts, stickers and other items on sale at the stadium from 12.30pm before the game tomorrow.

Related News

Kurzpässe vor #SVWWB04
DFB-Pokal - 22.08.2026

Matchday news: Season kicks off in DFB Pokal

Today brings the first match of the season for the Werkself. Bayer 04 kick off the 2026/27 campaign today, Saturday 22 August, at 13:00 CEST with a first-round DFB Pokal tie away to third-tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. The 3,700 travelling fans can not only look forward to what will hopefully be a successful start to the season, but also now organise their journeys to Black and Reds games even more easily via the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Meanwhile, following two defeats at the start of the league season, SV Wehen are hoping to spring a surprise in the DFB Pokal tie. Today’s matchday news.

Show more
Carolin Simon
Women - 21.08.2026

Women: Carolin Simon appointed as new captain

Carolin Simon is the new captain of the Bayer 04 women’s team. The full-back, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, will take over the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 season. Simon returned to Leverkusen in the summer after ten years away. The 33-year-old succeeds goalkeeper Friederike Repohl, who retired at the end of last season.

Show more
Die PK vor dem DFB-Pokalspiel bei Wehen Wiesbaden | 1. Runde DFB-Pokal
Werkself-TV - 21.08.2026

Martínez ahead of DFB Pokal tie : ‘What we all love most about football’ – Tapsoba named captain

Bayer 04 start the 2026/27 season away to third-division side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Ahead of the DFB Pokal tie on Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez spoke at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. The topics: anticipation, passion, the fans’ support – and the captaincy for the new season.

Show more
Loreen Bender am Ball
Women - 21.08.2026

‘Competition is fierce’: Women kick off Bundesliga campaign in Leipzig

After 62 days of preparation, the time has finally come: the Werkself kick off the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season on Sunday (16:00 CEST) with an away match at RB Leipzig. Following a major shake-up over the summer, with eleven players leaving and twelve new signings, initial impressions from the past few weeks have given manager Roberto Pätzold great cause for optimism.

Show more
SV Wehen Wiesbaden
DFB-Pokal - 20.08.2026

Our next opponents: Turn the ultimate challenge into an opportunity

SV Wehen Wiesbaden undoubtedly envisaged a different start to the new season. After two matchdays, the Hessen side currently sit bottom of the Liga 3 table. On Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), SVWW host the Werkself in the first round of the DFB Pokal at their home ground, the BRITA Arena. It was there, in this very competition a year ago, that the club almost pulled off a massive upset. The lowdown on our next opponents.

Show more