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"We're playing against top opponents in good form," declared head coach Xabi Alonso at the start of the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. The 41-year-old knows the strengths of the Leipzig team and warned accordingly of the playing style of the team from Saxony. "Marco Rose (RB Leipzig head coach, ed.) has put together a strong team since he's been at Leipzig and they are pursuing a very convincing way of playing that was impressively demonstrated in the Supercup." In the clash between the champions and the DFB Pokal winners, RB Leipzig beat Bayern Munich 3-0 to secure the first trophy of the 2023/24 season.
The Werkself can go into Saturday's game in confident mood having impressed in the 8-0 DFB Pokal win against FC Teutonia 05 Ottensen. For the league opener, Alonso is calling for a controlled and thoughtful performance from his team: "We want to build a mentality from tomorrow that we can take with us through the season."
In the opening match against the Leipzig team the absentees are Patrik Schick and Sardar Azmoun plus the suspended Piero Hincapie and Amine Adli. Gustavo Puerta, who missed the DFB Pokal tie in Hamburg due to a hand operation, will be back in the squad for Saturday’s game.
On the current euphoric atmosphere at Bayer 04 Alonso declared: "We feel the anticipation from the fans for the new season and we are equally excited about tomorrow and all the games ahead. There's an outstanding mood and energy at the moment – on every level."
In relation to the premature celebrations that Bayer 04 are receiving from many sides at the moment, the Spanish coach warned against an overeager performance and remarked: "We haven't got started yet. We are not naïve. Time will show where we stand. We will need the support of the fans in every match going forwards. The fans are expecting a good performance – and that's what we want to produce."
The anticipation for the start of the league campaign is reflected in the attendance figures: All the home sections for the Bundesliga opener against RB Leipzig have been sold out.
The fourth showdown in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26 starts for the Leverkusen eSports team today, Thursday 22 January (live on the B04eSports Twitch channel and on the Bayer 04 app from 19:00 CET). In the online preliminary round, the Black and Reds will once again compete with six previously drawn opponents for a place in the Top 16 and the associated entry into the offline knockout round in Berlin on 2 February at the fourth showdown. The lowdown on our next three opponents in the online preliminary round.
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The fourth European away trip of the season in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 takes the Werkself to the Greek capital. Head coach Kasper Hjulmand's team are away to Greek double winners Olympiacos on matchday seven in the UCL league phase. The match at the Karaiskakis Stadium is on Tuesday, 20 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET). We'll be taking you on a trip to Athens and reporting on the Werkself close-up...
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A great honour for Bayer 04 Women's German international: as part of the 2025 Sports Awards, Carlotta Wamser entered her name into the City of Leverkusen's Golden Book. On Tuesday, she looked back on a special year in a talk in the Morsbroich Castle hall of mirrors.
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It was a disappointing night in Athens: The Werkself lost 2-0 away to Olympiacos on Matchday 7 in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. In a match that was intense and fiery from the outset, the high-pressing home side made the better start and took the lead through Costinha on two minutes. Although the Werkself had a number of chances to equalise, the clinical Greek side increased the lead to 2-0 shortly before half-time (45+1’). In the second half, Leverkusen once again gave their all and showed total commitment but, despite their best efforts, the Black and Reds were unable to break down the Olympiacos defence on the night.
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