
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."

With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.
Show more
Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
Show more
The ‘year after’ the most successful year in the club's history brought many changes at Bayer 04. In an exclusive double interview with bayer04.de shortly before the Christmas break, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes spoke about building a new team capable of winning trophies, the work of coach Kasper Hjulmand, the young new signings who have quickly developed into key players, and their personal plans for the Christmas holidays. Their outlook for the coming year also shows that the potential is far from exhausted and ambitions remain high.
Show more
Last-minute ecstasy, huge disappointment and a historic performance on the European stage - 2025 was a real emotional roller coaster, especially for the U19s. A rousing run in the knockout phase secured the team a place in the final of the German championships, where they lost by the narrowest of margins. Despite the departure of several key players, the young Werkself team quickly regained their usual strength and qualified for the knockout rounds in the UEFA Youth League for the first time at the end of the year. In 2025, youngsters Jeremiah Mensah and Montrell Culbreath made their debuts in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. The other youth teams also contributed great performances and a number of trophies to the collective Black and Red success, while the successful Bayer 04 Future Kids project broke new ground. Read on for the 2025 review of the youth teams.
Show more
A memorable 12 months: 2025 was a year marked by success, intense competition and groundbreaking innovations for the #B04eSports team. After ending the 2024/25 season as runners-up, the Leverkusen-based console pros got down to business in a new, completely restructured season model, in which showdowns rather than divisions were the decisive factor on the road to the final round of the German Club Championship. Bayer 04 quickly earned a place in the history books of the most prestigious competition in German eSports and secured some valuable advantages for the coming year. Bayer04.de takes a look back at 12 months full of passion and the determination to take the next step.
Show more