Carl Zeiss Jena today play the Werkself for the third time in competitive matches. The previous two games were also in the DFB Pokal and both ended with victory for the Black and Reds. The Werkself secured a 4-0 win in the first round in the last meeting (2012). Simon Rolfes, sporting managing director at Bayer 04, gave the visitors in Jena the lead after just three minutes. 20 years earlier, the Black and Reds won 2-0 in the quarter-finals in the 1992/93 season and went on to lift the DFB Pokal. Bernd 'Schnix' Schneider, who went on to become a world-class player at Bayer 04 a few years later, was playing for Carl Zeiss Jena back then.
Carl Zeiss Jena beat Bundesliga teams in three of their first four DFB Pokal ties but Jena only went through once in nine such meetings. Bayer 04 have won all of their 14 first round Pokal ties against fourth tier teams – that is a record as no other team has won as many of those ties.
The game away to the Regional League side will not be a walkover. Carl Zeiss Jena have made a brilliant start to the season winning all five games played so far in the Regional League North East. The team led by head coach Henning Bürger, who was a player at FCC, have a new star in attack, striker Erik Weinhauer. The 23-year-old forward has scored ten goals in the past five games – and he achieved a record on matchday two: Weinhauer scored five times in the first half in 6-2 win against Hertha Zehlendorf, a feat never before achieved in the Regional League North East. Further information on Carl Zeiss Jena can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
The Werkself will wear black arm bands tonight. Bayer 04 are thereby remembering Christoph Daum. The former Werkself coach passed away last Saturday at the age of 70. Daum led the Werkself to three runners-up finishes between 1996 and 2000 as well as three Champions League campaigns.
#50JahreDeutscheKrebshilfe: Bayer 04 will wear the logo of the cancer organisation Deutsche Krebshilfe on their shirts in place of the usual sleeve sponsor. This is to mark the 50th anniversary of the foundation. The Werkself are looking to raise the profile of the long-term commitment to the foundation. The home shirt with the special sleeve logo from DKH is available today from the online shop. Further information available HERE.
Directions, catering, contacts and more: The Bayer 04 fan liaison team have put together key information on the away game in Jena to the 1600 travelling Werkself fans. Click HERE for the fan information.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Tobias Welz as the referee for the Pokal time in the arena. The 47-year-old match official has previously been in charge of 18 games involving the Werkself. Welz's assistant referees are Dr. Martin Thomsen and Cristian Ballweg with Alexander Sather in action as the VAR.
The match will be broadcast live on ZDF and Sky. Werkself Radio is also available for anyone unable to be at the game. The audio broadcast starts 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann. In addition, the live text update service will keep fans up-to-date at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
The Nerazzurri are in town: Today, Tuesday 10 December, Bayer 04 entertain the reigning champions of Italy Inter Milan on Matchday 6 in the UEFA Champions League (kick-off: 21.00 CET/live on DAZN and on Werkself Radio). Read on for the latest information on the home game at the BayArena.
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The Bayer 04 U19 team lost 1-0 to Inter Milan on the sixth and final matchday in the league phase of the UEFA Youth League 2024/25. The only goal of the game was scored just after the hour mark. While the side from North Italy have finished top in the league phase with a maximum points return, the Leverkusen team appeared to have just missed out on the knockout stages of the European competition. There is faint hope looking to several games to follow where results are needed to go the way of the Werkself.
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Italian teams are known for being strong in defence. The fact that Inter Milan, the next opponents for the Werkself in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, 10 December (kick-off: 20.45 CET), have not conceded a single goal in their last five matches is impressive. Will the visitors' keeper Yann Sommer be able to keep a clean sheet at the BayArena against Florian Wirtz and Co.? The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The Werkself are away to Borussia Dortmund on Bundesliga Matchday 16. The game at the Signal Iduna Park on Friday, 10 January 2025, kicks off at 20.30 CET. Read on for information on ticket sales.
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