Heidenheim are making history: The team under head coach Frank Schmidt are in the Bundesliga for the first time this season. Bayer 04 and FC Heidenheim meet for the second time in a competitive match. The only previous encounter was in the Round of 16 in the DFB Pokal in 2018/19.
Leverkusen have also achieved something special: The Werkself have made their best start to the season in 14 years with ten points from the first four Bundesliga fixtures. Back in 2009/10, the Black and Reds also picked up ten points, which was more than ever before.
For the game on Sunday, Bayer 04 have again organised a traditional family matchday under the motto "Together under the Cross", presented by main sponsor Barmenia. Werkself fans can enjoy family friendly offers and a wide-ranging programme with games and entertainment in and around the BayArena.
Work on the track between Düsseldorf and Cologne continues.With rail cancellations at Leverkusen Mitte station there will again be challenges with travel to and from the game. The trains on the regional and long-distance routes will run again on Sunday evening (21.00 CEST) and the S-Bahn on Monday 25 September (04.30 CEST). Information on replacement buses is published and constantly updated on the Deutsche Bahn website.
Former Bayer 04 player Jorginho will be at today's game. The Brazilian played for the Werkself from 1989 to 1992 making 101 appearances. The 1994 World Cup winner will watch the match against the newly promoted club together with the Bayer 04 Veterans team.
The newly promoted club from Baden-Württemberg has impressed in their first four matches in the Bundesliga with the right mentality combined with a battling approach and high work rate. The Schmidt team have certainly made an impression in their last two matches: Heidenheim beat Werder Bremen 4-2 – clocking up the first Bundesliga victory in the club's history – and they also picked up a point away to Borussia Dortmund coming back from being 2-0 down. The four points put the Bundesliga newcomers eleventh in the table. Further information can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
Anyone wanting to read key information before the game should take a look at the new Werkself Live. The matchday programme, offering the most important facts and stats on the game in compact form, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively it is available free online. Click HERE for the e-paper.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed the experienced referee Christian Dingert for the game against Heidenheim. This will be match number fifteen involving the Werkself for the 43-year-old match official. Dingert's assistants are Benedikt Kempkes and Nikolai Kimmeyer with Günter Perl in action is the VAR.
As usual, Werkself Radio is available for anybody unable to be at today's game. The audio broadcast begins 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep you up-to-date to ensure you don't miss any of the key match action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen continue the journey with Business Club partners Conrad Conrad Profistore Hürth with a 12-month contract extension to the end of the current 2024/24 season. The scope of the partnership has also been extended. The Conrad Profistore in Hürth has been working with the champions of Germany and DFB Pokal winners since January 2024.
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The sports tribunal of the German Football Association (DFB) has rejected Bayer 04's appeal against a replay of the Women's Bundesliga match at SC Freiburg (3-2). That's the outcome of a hearing at the DFB Campus in Frankfurt on Tuesday. Originally, SC had lodged an appeal against the match result.
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The Werkself have begun preparations for the home match against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday 19 October (15:30 CEST). Following a behind-closed-doors session at the start of the week, Xabi Alonso and his team worked in front of fans on Tuesday.
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Werkself players Nordi Mukiele and Niklas Lomb attended the Bayer 04 Football School on Tuesday afternoon. In the first week of the autumn half-term, the new signing and the long-serving goalkeeper answered numerous questions from over 100 young footballers at the kids press conference. After the round of questions, there was of course a group photo as well as an autograph session, where the duo didn't leave a single kit or boot unsigned.
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The Werkself visit VfL Bochum on Bundesliga Matchday 10. The game kicks off at 15:30 CET at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Saturday 9 November. Details on how to get tickets.
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