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The Werkself and VfB Stuttgart meet for the fifth time within just eleven months. "The last matches against Stuttgart were all very exciting, intense and emotional. Not just for the fans and the players but also for us as coaches. I was always really exhausted after the last matches against them," declared Xabi Alonso with a smile at the pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon. "We can expect a big game. I have a good feeling."
Like Bayer 04, VfB Stuttgart also have a packed fixture list at the moment. The Swabian side have been very successful in recent weeks: A first victory in the UEFA Champions League away to Juventus was followed by wins against Holstein Kiel (Bundesliga; 2-1) and FC Kaiserslautern (DFB Pokal; 2-1). Alonso: "They have a lot of quality and you can see that in every game. I have great respect for Sebastian and his work. We will have to produce our best performance levels on and off the ball."
Unavailable for the game are Amine Adli (broken leg) and Jeanuel Belocian, who has undergone a minor operation this week after persistent ankle problems.
The Werkself have conceded at least one goal in the first eight Bundesliga matches with a combined total of 15. "Of course, we are not happy about that. It's a big challenge for us to improve our defensive performances. We are hoping for a clean sheet tomorrow," said Alonso in response to a question.
The last clean sheet for Bayer 04 was on Tuesday against SV 07 Elversberg (3-0) in the DFB Pokal, following on from the first round away to Carl Zeiss Jena (1-0) and in the Champions League games against Feyenoord (4-0) and AC Milan (1-0).
Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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One ticket, two matches – and a varied programme of events, including appearances by players from the professional teams: Bayer 04 has come up with something very special for the 2026 season launch on Saturday, 8 August. From morning right through to the evening, Werkself fans can use just one ticket to not only enjoy top-class football from the Bayer 04 teams live, but also to experience unforgettable moments with the whole family through a variety of hands-on activities around the BayArena and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The day will also end on a real high note: after both matches, Bayer 04 supporters will have the opportunity to interact directly with the players during joint activities and get to know them from a different angle.
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Issa Traoré is moving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Slovakian top-flight side AS Trencin. The club has loaned the centre-back out for one year to this year’s ninth-placed team in the Slovakian league.
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