The two teams faced each other in the Champions League in 2001/02. The group stage tie against the Gunners produced a 1-1 draw in Leverkusen and a 4-1 defeat in London. The Black and Reds went on to reach the final that season with the Werkself losing 2-1 to Real Madrid.
The match at the Emirates Stadium brings a reunion for Bayer 04 with home-grown player Kai Havertz. The attacking player started in the Black and Red U13 squad, graduated to the first team and made his international debut before signing for Chelsea in the Premier League in 2020 after ten years under the Cross. He scored the winner for the Blues in the 2022 Champions League final. Last year he signed for London rivals Arsenal.
Werkself player Granit Xhaka is also set for a reunion with his former club. The Switzerland international was at the Gunners for seven years before his move to Bayer 04 in the summer of 2023. Ahead of today's match, the 31-year-old shared his thoughts with bayer04.de. The interview is HERE.
And there will also be a friendly reunion on the touchline. Bayer 04 head coach Xabi Alonso and Gunners coach Mikel Arteta know each other well as both grew up in San Sebastian and played together in the youth set-up at the Basque club Antiguoko and later for the Spain U21 team. Last season, ahead of the quarter-final exit in the Champions League Arteta congratulated his "good friend Xabi" and former player Granit Xhaka on winning the Bundesliga title.
The match with the Premier League runners-up provides another test for the Werkself. Arsenal had the best defence in the Premier League last term conceding just 29 goals in 38 games and they had the second best attack with 91 goals scored with Manchester City (96) top. The London club has again strengthened their already high quality defence: The Italy international Riccardo Calafiori, who was one of the outstanding players at Euro 2024, recently joined Arsenal from Bologna. Further information on the Gunners can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
Directions, food and drink, contacts and more: The Bayer 04 Fan Liaison team has put together information for the friendly against Arsenal the Werkself fans travelling to London. Click HERE for the fan information.
The friendly will be streamed live on the Bayer 04 app as well as on the club YouTube channel and on Werkself TV. The match will also be broadcast live by ServusTV and DF1. In addition, you can keep up-to-date with the latest action via the Bayer 04 live text updates. Werkself Radio is not broadcasting tonight.
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Special sports class for enthusiastic primary school children: as part of the first action day of the Bayer 04 campaign ‘District Matchdays’ in the 2024/25 season, Werkself players Vanessa Haim and Estrella Merino Gonzalez visited the KGS Thomas-Morus-Schule in Schlebusch on Wednesday afternoon and led a lesson in the gym. This was anything but an unusual situation for summer signing Haim.
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Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord have for many years been amongst the top three clubs in Dutch football. After winning the league title for the 16th time in the club's history year ago, Feyenoord finished last season as runners-up. Now the club from the port city face the champions of Germany on matchday one in the UEFA Champions League 2024/25. Bayer 04 can expect a rough ride at the cauldron of the De Kuip stadium on Thursday, 19 September (kick-off: 18.45 CEST). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Ahead of the opening match in the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 away to top Dutch club Feyenoord on Thursday, 19 September (kick-off: 18.45 CEST), the Bayer 04 Fan Liaison team has all the info you need for the match at Feyenoord's De Kuip stadium…
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The Bayer 04 Women's team play newly promoted Turbine Potsdam in the Round of 16 in the DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw held on Monday night. The match will be played between 22 and 24 November with details to be confirmed.
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