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Matchday news #MCIB04: First meeting with unbeaten Manchester City
The Werkself face Manchester City for the very first time on Tuesday for Matchday 5 of the league phase in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League (kick-off: 21:00 CET). The hosts sit fourth in the standings and boast huge quality in attack, while Leverkusen are looking to improve their meagre record of just one win from the last 10 games away at English clubs. A key player in that regard could be Aleix Garcia, the former City midfielder who ranks highly in several passing metrics in the Champions League this season. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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Live blog: The Werkself away to Manchester City ✈️🏴
The Werkself's next European trip takes them to the north-west of England as Kasper Hjulmand's side take on Manchester City on Tuesday, 25 November (kick-off: 21:00 CET) on Matchday 5 in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. As usual, we'll take you along on the #aCROSSeurope journey and report from Manchester. All times listed are in CET.
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Hjulmand ahead of #MCIB04: ‘Need to force possession for ourselves’
Bayer 04 face Manchester City for the very first time as they head to England for Matchday 5 in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League. Ahead of Tuesday’s encounter, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke of an “active” style of play and his “great trust in every individual”. Aleix García, who was on the books at City from 2015 to 2020, also talked at the pre-match press conference about his reunion with Pep Guardiola on a “special evening” for him.
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Our next opponents: A force of nature and many more aces in attack
The dress rehearsal in the Premier League for the match against the Werkself did not go well at the weekend. However, Manchester City are still unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League, the competition they won in 2023. In the first encounter with Bayer 04 this Tuesday, 25 November (kick-off: 21:00 CET), coach Pep Guardiola will be able to field just about his best line-up. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Werkself review #WOBB04: Ice cold in Wolfsburg
Bayer 04's impressive run of form has not been affected by the international break: The Werkself followed up their 6-0 victory over Heidenheim with a 3-1 win at VfL Wolfsburg that sees them move up into a Champions League spot in the Bundesliga for the first time this season. In the first half, it was an outstandingly cool and consistent performance by the team under head coach Kasper Hjulmand, who earned a special record at Bayer 04 on Saturday. Find out all about the win at the Volkswagen Arena in the Werkself review.
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Women: TV highlights of 0-1 loss against SGS Essen
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 0-1 loss against SGS Essen on the 11th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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Battling display but out of luck: Women lose at home to SGS Essen
An unfortunate end to a hard-fought game from Bayer 04's point of view: The Bayer 04 Women worked hard against bottom-of-the-table SGS Essen, but lacked penetration in attack for long periods of the game. The goal scored by Essen's Natasha Kowalski (58'), that saw the otherwise flawless goalkeeper Anne Moll unfortunately slip, was enough to inflict a third consecutive defeat on Roberto Pätzold's team.
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‘Establish ourselves in the chasing pack’: Women welcome SGS Essen
A week after the disappointing DFB Pokal exit at Hamburger SV, the Bayer 04 Women return to league action. In a home match against SGS Essen on Saturday, 22 November (kick-off: 14:00 CET at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium), coach Roberto Pätzold's team will be fighting to maintain a good position in the chasing pack in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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Women: Tickets on sale for home games against RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich
Tickets are on sale for the last two Bayer 04 Women's team home games in 2025. Fans can now purchase tickets for the matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium against RB Leipzig and the final fixture of the year in the Rückrunde opener against German champions Bayern Munich. The latest information at a glance.
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A thriller without a happy ending: Women exit DFB Pokal in Hamburg
A disappointing Sunday afternoon in the Hanseatic city: The Bayer 04 Women missed out on a place in the DFB Pokal quarter-finals after a penalty shoot-out at Hamburger SV. After more than 120 minutes of play, coach Roberto Pätzold's team lost 4-2 on penalties to the Bundesliga newcomers in front of 3,993 spectators at the Volksparkstadion. Julia Mickenhagen's brilliant strike to level at 1-1 on 73 minutes was not enough for the Werkself in this tie. The Bayer Leverkusen Women’s team reached quarter-finals in both of the previous two seasons.
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6-0 defeat in the Youth League - U19s downed by Manchester City
After a goalless and at times evenly-matched first half, Bayer 04's U19s ultimately suffered a heavy defeat at Manchester City. Coach Kevin Brok's depleted side - including five players who were part of the senior squad for the Champions League game in the evening - lost 6-0 on Matchday 5 of the UEFA Youth League.
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Youth League clash at Manchester City: 'Big challenge we want to tackle in the best possible way'
Will the Bayer 04 U19s take the next step towards their first appearance in the knockout stage of the UEFA Youth League in the away game at Manchester City? Coach Kevin Brok is well aware of this historic opportunity, but he's not about to start worrying about the maths: "We're not concerned with the question of what might be good enough. We invest everything we can and always aim for the maximum. That's our way." The game on this penultimate Matchday 5 of the league phase takes place on Tuesday, 25 November (kick-off: 16:00 CET) at the Manchester City Academy Stadium. Werkself TV will be broadcasting the whole match exclusively for Bayer 04 club members live from 15:50 CET....
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Over €1,000: U19s donate contents of last season's team kitty to ‘Wishes come true’ project
Charitable commitment under the cross: Bayer 04's U19s have donated the contents of their team kitty from the 2024/25 season to the charitable project ‘Wishes come true’. Defender Ferdinand Pohl, on behalf of the entire team, handed over a whopping €1,150 in the form of a symbolic cheque at the BayArena this week.
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Donation of cash and food: U19s support Leverkusen food bank
€1,000 and food for a good cause: In keeping with the long-standing cooperation between Bayer 04 and the Tafel Leverkusen e.V. food bank, the U19s are also supporting the charitable organisation in the region. In addition to the generous cheque the team were able to donate to an organisation of their choice as a result of their participation in the UEFA Youth League, coach Kevin Brok's lads donated €500 worth of food - financed by their own team kitty. Ferdinand Pohl, Jesper Schlich and Co. also actively helped to stow the food in the Tafel's premises.
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U19s suffer first defeat in UCL Youth League at Benfica
For the first time this season, the Bayer Leverkusen U19s were beaten in the UEFA Youth League. After two wins and a draw, Bayer 04 lost 5-0 at Benfica on matchday 4. The goals for the home side were scored by Goncalo Moreira (9’, 40’) and Francisco Silva (43’) in the first half. After the restart, Eduardo Fernandes (48’) and Gil Neves (55’) completed the scoring.
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Hradecky's successor: Mark Flekken new patron of Lions Club
Just in time for its 30th anniversary, the Lions Club is getting a new patron: Bayer 04 goalkeeper Mark Flekken is taking over the role from Lukas Hradecky, who showed great commitment and passion for the youngest Werkself fans in recent years. The Dutchman, who is himself the father of two daughters, will accompany Lions Club events and activities and be a role model for the children with his warm and positive manner.
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Season opener: Friendly against Pisa at the BayArena
The Werkself will welcome Serie A newcomers Pisa SC to the BayArena for a friendly on Tuesday, 5 August (kick-off: 18:00 CEST / stadium opens: 15:00) as part of the season opener celebrations. Bayer 04 will offer fans a lively and varied supporting programme on the stadium concourse. Ahead of kick-off, both the men's and women's senior squads will be introduced on the pitch.
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Bayer 04's service department reorganised
The 2023/24 double-winning season set new standards. Bayer 04 faced a number of challenges not only in sporting terms, but also operationally due to the increased number of enquiries. Unfortunately, the service provided was not always exemplary. In the meantime, however, the club has gone through a restructuring process. In recent months, not only have many organisational matters been initiated, but technical components have also been further developed - with a clear goal: to provide fast, competent and comprehensive help and information. Personal service has always been important to Bayer 04. And it has now been significantly optimised.
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Vote now for your men's team Player of the Season 2024/25
The Werkself ended the 2024/25 season as runners-up with the third equal highest number of points in the club's history (69) and went the full Bundesliga campaign without an away defeat since 2023/24. As in previous years, you now have the opportunity to vote for your Player of the Season. The vote is exclusive to members of the Bayer 04 Club and only on the Bayer 04 app.
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Live blog: The Werkself away to Manchester City ✈️🏴
The Werkself's next European trip takes them to the north-west of England as Kasper Hjulmand's side take on Manchester City on Tuesday, 25 November (kick-off: 21:00 CET) on Matchday 5 in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. As usual, we'll take you along on the #aCROSSeurope journey and report from Manchester. All times listed are in CET.
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Black and Red Week 2025 - Day 1: Ticket and jersey special
The annual Black and Red Week has started. Day one, Tuesday 25 November, includes a special ticket offer for Bayer 04 Club members and a special jersey offer for all Werkself fans...
Show moreWomen: Tickets on sale for home games against RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich
Tickets are on sale for the last two Bayer 04 Women's team home games in 2025. Fans can now purchase tickets for the matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium against RB Leipzig and the final fixture of the year in the Rückrunde opener against German champions Bayern Munich. The latest information at a glance.
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New plan for the Bayer 04 Campus: Area reduced by a third, green corridor widened
Bayer 04 has presented the groups on the Monheim council with extensively revised proposals for the planned Campus. As part of constructive discussions, the club presented a plan to the CDU, SPD, Greens, FDP, PETO and the Left Party that envisages a one-third reduction in the area of the site on Alfred-Nobel-Strasse. The distance to neighbours will be increased by almost 60 percent. The green corridor will therefore be significantly larger than previously planned. Here are the main changes.
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#B04eSports: Leverkusen miss out on a place in the offline round of showdown two
Eliminated ahead of the offline round: On Tuesday, 18 November, the Leverkusen console pros played the two remaining matches in the online preliminary round of showdown two. After picking up six points from the first four games last week, the #B04eSports team bagged another three in the two final duels - but it wasn't enough. The Leverkusen team missed out on a place in the offline knockout round, which will take place in this second showdown on 23 November in Frankfurt am Main.
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#B04eSports: Our next opponents in second showdown
The VBL Club Championship by WOW 2025/26 continues today, Tuesday 18 November, with the last two of the six online preliminary round matches in the second showdown. Starting at 18:00 CET, Bayer 04 face Karlsruher SC, followed by Borussia Mönchengladbach at 19:00 CET. The games will be streamed live on the Bayer 04 app and on the club Twitch channel. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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#B04eSports: Six points and a debut to start second showdown
Like they did in the first showdown of the VBL Club Championship by WOW, which the Leverkusen gamers won in spectacular style, Marc and Sean Landwehr also started the second showdown with six points by beating TSG Hoffenheim and VfL Bochum 1848, last-16 participants of the first showdown. The #B04eSports team suffered defeat to SV Darmstadt 98 and Hertha BSC. Meanwhile, Keanu Senkbeil made his VBL CC debut in the clash with the capital club.
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#B04eSports: Our opponents for the second showdown
The next showdown in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26 is here. On their way to the offline round, to be held at the second showdown in Frankfurt am Main on 23 November, six opponents await in the online preliminary round. The #B04eSports team will face the first four this Thursday, 13 November, from 18:00 CET (live on the Bayer 04 app and on Twitch). The lowdown on our opponents.
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#B04eSports: Victory in final against champions Leipzig - Leverkusen win first showdown
"We left everything on the pitch and fought every minute. It's all the nicer to be rewarded for that in the end and to celebrate a title!" declared Marc Landwehr after the end of a thrilling final against RB Leipzig. The #B04eSports team won the final of this first showdown of the new VBL Club Championship season against the current champions in two high-scoring duels. They had previously defeated SC Paderborn 07, the 2023/24 double winners, in the semi-finals.
Show moreSustainability
Donation of cash and food: U19s support Leverkusen food bank
€1,000 and food for a good cause: In keeping with the long-standing cooperation between Bayer 04 and the Tafel Leverkusen e.V. food bank, the U19s are also supporting the charitable organisation in the region. In addition to the generous cheque the team were able to donate to an organisation of their choice as a result of their participation in the UEFA Youth League, coach Kevin Brok's lads donated €500 worth of food - financed by their own team kitty. Ferdinand Pohl, Jesper Schlich and Co. also actively helped to stow the food in the Tafel's premises.
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Jersey competition for a good cause - proceeds go to Leverkusen food bank
Contribute to a good cause and win something special! The Bayer 04 jersey competition is entering its third round: From 10 October and up to and including 29 November, raffle tickets can be purchased for five euros each at the Fanwelt on the south side of the BayArena for the chance to win one of two signed away jerseys. The proceeds from the raffle will be donated to Tafel Leverkusen e.V. as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations.
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Bayer 04-HILFT day at the city library: ‘It's impressive what you can achieve together’
Bayer 04 is once again helping out for a good cause this year: For the ninth Bayer 04-HILFT day, a large part of the Werkself workforce once again got involved in a social project in the region. Following the restoration of the outdoor area of a day nursery in 2024, this time the team came together to redesign the indoor and outdoor areas of the Leverkusen City Library with great support from Lebenshilfe-Werkstätten Leverkusen and partner Coca-Cola. Club representative Stefan Kießling and some of the Werkself players were also involved in the project.
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‘Very important project’ - BioBrotbox campaign with Bayer 04
Bayer 04 has again supported the annual Leverkusen BioBrotbox packing event for the 20th time - this year for the first time in the form of sponsorship. Caroline Kehrer and Juliette Vidal, two players from the Women's team, as well as U19 players Ferdinand Pohl and Nils Gernhardt helped out. A total of 2,016 lunch boxes were packed for first-formers in Leverkusen.
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Participation on the big stage – Inklusionswerkself at Genuine World Cup 2025 in the USA
USA – it's common knowledge that everything here is supposed to be a bit bigger: The streets, the shops, the stadiums – and also the moments sometimes. For the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Inklusionswerkself (our team for athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities) participation in the Genuine World Cup 2025 in Huston was more than just a big tournament. It was an experience that left its mark – from a sporting, human and international perspective.
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Former Chinese Star Chen Yang Visits Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Bayer 04 welcomed former Chinese forward Chen Yang, the first player from his country to play in the Bundesliga, to the BayArena on Monday as part of a collaboration with Bundesliga International. The initiative aims to promote Bundesliga stories and behind-the-scenes content for the Chinese market ahead of the launch of Chen’s Douyin (China’s TikTok) social media channel later this month.
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Longstanding partnership to continue: Bayer 04 and EVL extend
A strong and successful partnership that will be continued: Bayer 04 and Energieversorgung Leverkusen GmbH & Co. KG (EVL) have extended their contract for energy supply and related services until 30 June 2027. As part of this, EVL will continue to hold the naming rights to the family section at the BayArena.
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Bayer 04 Women and s2 with message for Pinktober
At the Werkself's Bundesliga game at home to Union Berlin last Saturday, it wasn't just sporting emotions that took centre stage. To mark International Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the Bayer 04 Women's team, together with their sleeve sponsor s2-Software, sent out a strong message at the BayArena in support of education, prevention and solidarity in the fight against breast cancer.
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TKD new partner in the Bayer 04 Business Club
New season, new partnership: TKD is a partner in the Bayer 04 Business Club. The contract between the Bundesliga club and the company based in neighbouring Langenfeld, who specialise in mobile working for companies, runs to 30 June 2026.
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BERGISCHE KRANKENKASSE extends commitment to Bayer 04 Sponsors' club
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has signed a new agreement with BERGISCHE KRANKENKASSE at the start of the 2025/26 season. The official health partner of the current German runners-up has extended its cooperation with Bayer 04, which began in 2020, to 30 June 2028. BERGISCHE KRANKENKASSE will remain a partner in the Sponsors’ Club and also a partner of Bayer 04 eSports team for a further three years.
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2024/25 season review, part I: High expectations of invincible double winners
With the clash at Mainz 05 on the 34th and final matchday of the 2024/25 Bundesliga, another eventful season came to an end. The Werkself finished as runners-up in second place and can be proud of the joint third-best points tally in the club's history. Bayer04.de takes a look back - firstly at the period from the summer until the end of the year, in which the Werkself had to deal with high expectations and fluctuated between impressive performances, squandered leads and absolute top form.
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Happy 75th birthday, Wolfgang Holzhäuser
He helped shape Bayer 04 for almost two decades. First from 1998 to 2004 as the commercial managing director, then from 2013 as the spokesperson for the board and finally from 2017 as a member of the shareholders committee. Wolfgang Holzhäuser today celebrates his 75th birthday.
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30 years ago: Bernd Schuster's hat-trick for all time
Bernd Schuster scored the Goal of the Month three times in 1994. And in the vote for the Goal of the Year he took the first three places. Nobody else has achieved that before or after him. Today Bernd Schuster celebrates his 65th birthday. We take the occasion to not only look back at his wonder goals but also review his special story at Bayer 04.
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No tradition since 1904 – Bayer 04 release 120th anniversary kit
The German double winners’ special-edition jersey to mark the club’s 120th anniversary is reminiscent of the first kit worn by players back in the 1907/08 season. The jersey, which the Werkself will wear for the Bundesliga home game against Holstein Kiel on Saturday, 5 October and which has been met with enthusiasm by the players, has numerous special features relating to the club's history, including an NFC chip that leads to exclusive content when scanned with a smartphone.
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120 years of Bayer 04 Leverkusen: an eventful history
The 2023/24 season was a historic one in many respects for Bayer 04. The Werkself were crowned champions for the first time in their history, lifted the DFB Pokal for the second time after 1993, and reached a European final for the third time after the UEFA Cup triumph of 1988 and 2002 Champions League runners-up finish. The fact all these events came in the year the club celebrates its 120th birthday makes the milestone year even more special. So, time for a look back on the beginnings of the gymnastics club that soon became one of Europe’s biggest football clubs.
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Closer to the home end: Home bench at the BayArena towards North Stand
For the Bundesliga 2025/26 opener against TSG Hoffenheim at the BayArena on Saturday, Erik ten Hag, his coaches, staff and substitutes will be even closer to the home end. From now, the Bayer 04 team will be nearer to the North Stand after coming on.
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Moderate price revision in public catering at the BayArena
Bayer 04 and catering partner Bayer Gastronomie have revised the public catering offer at the BayArena. A moderate price revision has become unavoidable due to increased raw material, energy and staff costs. Beer will now cost €5.10 (plus 20 cents) and Bratwurst €4.40 (plus 10 cents).
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For the third time in four years: ‘Pitch of the Year’ award goes to Bayer 04
Another award for the Bayer 04 ground staff: after 2021/22 and 2022/23, the pitch in the BayArena has once again been named ‘Pitch of the Year’ in the Bundesliga in 2024/25. VfL Wolfsburg and FC Bayern München follow in second and third place this year.
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‘Positive and profitable exchange’: Thiel on DFB goalkeeping coaches meeting at the BayArena
Analysing and further developing goalkeeping together is the target of the annual goalkeeping coaches meeting of the German Football Association (DFB). The goalkeeping coaches in the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and the third division, divided into regional groups, meet every year under the guidance of DFB goalkeeping coordinator Marc Ziegler. Following 2023, the meeting of the goalkeeping coaches of professional clubs from the Western region took place yesterday, Tuesday 29 April, at the BayArena for the second time. The Werkself goalkeeping coach David Thiel acted as the host of the meeting and he made an impromptu contribution.
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