
The online edition of the Kölner Stadt Anzeiger comes to the following conclusion: "Borussia Dortmund beat Bayer 04 Leverkusen 4-2 after being two goals down in the Saturday night game and are now top of the table. No other game in the current Bundesliga campaign has had greater entertainment value. Both teams showed the extent of their capabilities on the pitch … Both teams are very young. Bayer 04 displayed their talent for an hour and Borussia Dortmund their class in the second half."
The Sonntags Express highlights the fact that Borussia have taken top spot in the league after this victory. "League leaders, league leaders rang out from the Dortmund supporters on 86 minutes. The Barça loanee Paco Alcacer (25) had just scored to make it 3-2, turning round a mad game for BVB and propelling the Black and Yellows to the top of the table. Just before the end of the game, the toreador made it 4-2 against Bayer Leverkusen ... The BVB gang of rascals - six players in the starting line-up were 23 or younger - had been chasing a 2-0 deficit for an hour beforehand."
That is also the most important outcome of this top game for the Bild am Sonntag: "After Bayern's 2-0 defeat in Berlin, going top of the league was there on a silver platter. And Dortmund struck late on - a 4-2 victory in Leverkusen. New league leaders. A mad game by both teams. At the end Dortmund were as happy as Larry. ...“
In the online edition of the Rheinische Post Julian Brandt faced the question of how the Werkself could lose after taking such a clear lead: "The constant back and to between outstanding and average is now bothering everybody involved. … 'In the first half we did everything we intended to do, we were compact and were careful with our possession and we used our chances well,' said Julian Brandt in his fair summary of the first 45 minutes. … 'After they pulled a goal back, you could detect a certain insecurity running to the team,' declared Brandt.
The Kicker (online) employs the conjunctive case: "It would have been a statement victory. Would have been! After a bumpy start to the season, Bayer Leverkusen flew out of the blocks in the top game against Borussia Dortmund and deservedly took a 2-0 lead with a considered performance - and they should have gone 3-0 up. In the end, there was a 4-2 defeat - and that came after an improved performance from the visitors how are now a new team at the top of the table."

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
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Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.
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Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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