Thanks to the 4-1 away win at SpVgg Greuther Fürth, Bayer 04 now have 55 points from 31 league games – more than in the whole of last season with three games left to play (52). That campaign ended in sixth place in the table and qualification for the UEFA Europa League.
Currently in third spot, with a three-point lead over the team in fifth position, the Werkself need more points in the end of season run-in to achieve the target of qualifying for the Champions League. The remaining three opponents are Eintracht Frankfurt (2 May), TSG Hoffenheim (7 May) plus the finale against SC Freiburg (14 May).
An important milestone in the history of Bayer 04 was reached 36 years ago today: On 26 April 1986, the Werkself were away to Schalke in the final game of the season and were 2-0 down – not enough for sixth place and the first participation in the UEFA Cup. However, the team under coach Erich Ribbeck fought their way back into the game and earned a 2-2 draw. After the final whistle it was clear that Bayer 04 would take part in the UEFA Cup for the first time in the 1986/87 season.
The Werkself went out in the second round after two wins in the first round against the Swedish team Kalmar FF (4-1, 3-0): The games against the Czech side Dukla Prague ended goalless away and in a 1-1 draw at home.
The next season saw the massive achievement for the Werkself of winning the UEFA Cup on penalties against Espanyol..
The former Werkself player Werner Biskup would have been 80 years old on this Tuesday. The defender moved under the Bayer Cross at the age of 20 from his hometown of Bottrop in 1962. Biskup played for the Werkself for three years: first in the Oberliga West (30 games, three goals), then in the Regional League West (66 games, four goals). After moving on to Fortuna Düsseldorf and FC Köln he finally ended up at RFC Liège in Belgium where he ended his playing career in 1975 and he became a coach. Biskup passed away in July 2014 at the age of 72. Rest in peace.
After Jens Nowotny was officially named a Bayer 04 honorary captain last weekend, the long-standing Werkself player is part of the Leverkusen delegation on the trophy tour to New York City next week from 11 to 14 September. In an interview with bayer04.de, the 50-year-old talked about his expectations ahead of the trip to the metropolis on the East Coast of the USA.
Show moreThe German Football League (DFL) has confirmed the dates and kick-off times for matchdays 6 to 12 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. Full details of the Bayer 04 fixtures.
Show moreMarkus Rehm, a long jumper at TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, won the gold medal for the fourth time in succession at the Paralympics on Wednesday.
Show moreThe fixture details for the second round of the DFB Pokal 2024/25 have been confirmed. The home tie for Bayer 04 against second division SV 07 Elversberg is on Tuesday, 29 October with the kick off at 18.00 CET (live on Sky). That was announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Thursday.
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