Bayer 04 have played VfB Stuttgart three times in the DFB-Pokal to date – always at home – and they have won all three games. The Werkself have not played any other team as often in Germany's domestic cup competition and have always come out on top.
In all competitions, the Werkself have only lost one of the last 24 matches against Stuttgart (17 wins, six draws). Bayer 04 have also not clocked up more wins in professional football against any other club than they have against VfB Stuttgart (43).
Following a dip in form at the start of the year with two defeats against Borussia Mönchengladbach (1-3) and VfL Bochum (0-1), Stuttgart are currently producing impressive performances: VfB beat RB Leipzig 5-2 on Matchday 19 and last Saturday they secured a 3-1 away win at SC Freiburg. Deniz Undav played a big part in both wins with four goals and two assists. Serhou Guirassy, who has scored 14 goals in 17 league matches, is available again after returning from AFCON. And the regular choice at full-back Hiroki Ito, who went out of the Asia Cup with Japan, is also ready to play for VfB again. Further information on VfB can be found in the profile of our next opponents.
Good news for all drivers: The new Leverkusen autobahn Bridge was opened to traffic again on Sunday. The A1 between the Leverkusen junction and Köln-Nord was closed for two weeks to allow the new parts of the bridge to be connected to the road network. This road is now open making access to the BayArena via the A1 available again.
In honour of the football legend Franz Beckenbauer there will be a minute’s silence before kick-off at today's quarter-final. The 'Kaiser' passed away at the age of 78 on 7 January.
Anyone wanting to discover the latest information ahead of the cup tie can take a look at the new Werkself Live. The matchday magazine, that includes key facts and stats on the match, is available at the BayArena. Alternatively it is available free online. HERE is the e-paper.
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.
The DFB-Pokal quarter-final will be broadcast on Sky Germany and free on terrestrial TV on ARD.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Daniel Schlager as the referee for tonight's game. The 34-year-old has previously been in charge of nine fixtures involving the Werkself resulting in five wins, two draws and two defeats from a Black and Red perspective. Schlager will have the support of assistants Sven Waschitzki-Günther and Christian Dietz with Benjamin Brand in action as the VAR.
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.
Show moreThe 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.
Show moreThe 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.
Show moreWerkself 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.
Show moreThe 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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