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"It was an incredible night, which I also need to process first," reflected the Spaniard. "None of us had much sleep. We need to forget the Europa League for now, though, and focus fully on Sunday. We're in a good position in the Bundesliga. It's the last match before the international break. We absolutely want to end this block with a win," added Alonso. According to the 41-year-old, that requires above all "a lot of emotionality, just like in the European games. But first and foremost, we want to have control of the game."
Alonso is expecting a hard-fought contest against head coach Christian Streich's side, "a top team with intelligent players and a very competitive coach with a lot of experience in the club".
The Bayer 04 boss also highlighted the opponents' flexibility: "They can play in a very nice, dominant way but they can also adapt very well in difficult matches. They're strong from set pieces, too." They therefore need "to be ready for all scenarios", added the Spaniard.
There was good news on Jonas Hofmann. "The scan has shown that it's not a muscle strain. We'll see for Sunday," confirmed Alonso.
Meanwhile, patience is required with Victor Boniface. The striker is making good progress, and they want to make good use of the international break. "He's close to getting back onto the pitch," revealed Alonso. "If it goes well, he could play a part against Hoffenheim, but we have patience."
Victory over SCF would already confirm Leverkusen's participation in next season's UEFA Champions League. Alonso is ambitious: "We already said in the summer that we had this goal. Now we can realise that and we want to achieve it on Sunday."
The Werkself will be supported in this task by 3,400 travelling fans in Freiburg. Just like recent away matches, the away section is again sold out.
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
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At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
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