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Xabi Alonso is looking forward to the first match at home with "great anticipation." After overcoming FC Carl Zeiss Jena in the first round of the DFB Pokal (1-0) last Wednesday, the Spaniard said the following: "We know we haven't reached our highest level up to now. That's why want to carry on working. It's a process to achieve that level but it's our aim and we’re focused on that. And I'm confident we can do it too."
Alonso is expecting a "top match at Champions League level" on Saturday night. The 42-year-old coach rates Leipzig as "very good opponents with very strong individual and collective quality and a great coach."
Alonso has nearly a full squad for the clash with the team under Leipzig head coach Marco Rose. Midfielder Exequiel Palacios is not yet available. The Argentinian continues to take part in rehab training. Lukas Hradecky will be replaced by Matej Kovar in goal. Hradecky has not trained this week due to illness and is not fully fit.
Alonso did confirmed that defender Jonathan Tah will play from the start. The 42-year-old also spoke positively about the new signing Nordi Mukiele who will be in the Werkself squad for the first time tomorrow: "Of course, he's only trained with us for two days. But he's made a very good impression. He's come to us very hungry, wants to have fun and enjoy the football. We are very happy with him and pleased he’s here with us."
The Spaniard also talked about the squad on deadline day: "Speculation during the transfer window is completely normal, that's football. But we are relaxed. We are happy with the squad. We have a lot of competition for every position and therefore are only focused on ourselves."
The home sections at the BayArena are completely sold-out for the game against RB Leipzig. Accordingly, Alonso is looking forward to another "great atmosphere" in the first home game in the new Bundesliga season. 1,000 fans are expected to travel from Saxony to the Rhineland.

Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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No points in the Kraichgau: the Werkself lost 1-0 away to top-six rivals TSG Hoffenheim on Bundesliga Matchday 18. Wouter Burger scored the only goal with a free kick in the ninth minute. In an uneventful contest, the Werkself tried hard to find an equaliser but were repeatedly thwarted.
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The meeting between fifth and sixth on Saturday afternoon (17 January, 15:30 CET) is a hard one to predict. While the Werkself can take confidence from their historic record at TSG Hoffenheim, the hosts are currently enjoying their second-best Bundesliga campaign and have lost just one of their last 10 games. Another good omen for Bayer 04: Daniel Schlager also refereed Leverkusen's last victory in Sinsheim (4-1). The Matchday News.
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At the end of the winter training camp in Portugal, the Bayer 04 Women convincingly mastered their friendly ahead of the start of the second half of the season. In the match against Swiss league leaders Servette FCCF, coach Roberto Pätzold's team won 3-0 at the Monte Gordo Sports Complex. Carlotta Wamser (4’), Vanessa Fudalla (18’) and Loreen Bender (53’) scored for Bayer 04, who have been preparing for the Rückrunde in the Algarve since last Saturday.
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The German Football League (DFL) has rescheduled the postponed fixture at Hamburger SV on Bundesliga matchday 17. The match, due to be played on Tuesday, has now been rescheduled for Wednesday, 4 March (kick-off: 20:30 CET).
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