
The Kölner Stadt Anzeiger provides a eulogy to Julian Brandt under the headline 'The Werkself on song': "The opener was the individual achievement of a great footballer. Julian Brandt won the ball 40 yards from goal and weaved his way through the Berlin defence before hitting the ball into the back of the net with the outside of his foot."
The Kölnische Rundschau succinctly sums up the Cup tie: 'Class beats passion' and reports: "The game quickly sorted itself out. Leverkusen dominated with a performance that reflected their Bundesliga quality and individual ability. Union tried to counter this class with passion and were well organised... A formidable goalkeeper helped the visitors keep a clean sheet for the time being. It took a brilliant individual move to break down the defence and beat the last man. Julian Brandt left the Berliners standing like slalom poles."
The Bild Zeitung title reads 'Thanks to Brandt: Leverkusen grow ever more impressive' and reports: "When Brandt plays then the opposition box is where the action is."
The Cologne-based Express focuses attention on next Saturday's derby against FC Köln: "Bayer get ready for Köln: Leverkusen blow Union Berlin away, clocking up nine goals in three days."
The verdict of the Rheinische Post: "Bayer 04 have reached the last sixteen of the Cup. In the 4-1 win against second division Union Berlin, the team coached by Heiko Herrlich only needed one impressive half...Bayer sporting director Rudi Völler praised the Berliners. 'They're a very, very good team. They'll go up,' said the 1990 World Cup winner."
The Berlin media also complimented Union for the courageous performance. "The warm-down 25 minutes after the final whistle saw the team enthusiastically cheered on by the travelling support. The 3,000 plus Berlin fans sang out in the almost empty stadium that Union would play in Europe one day. In the end, Union went down with flags flying," writes the Tagesspiegel.

The clubs in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga have opened a new chapter in the history of women's football in Germany. With the official founding act of the "Frauen-Bundesliga FBL e.V." on Wednesday afternoon in Frankfurt am Main, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and the 13 other top-flight clubs have joined forces for the first time.
Show more
The Bayer 04 U19s today, Wednesday 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET), host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday in the league phase of the UEFA Youth League. For coach Kevin Brok's team, the game against the English side is about securing a place in the next stage of the competition and a historic first appearance in the knockout phase. Werkself TV will broadcast the match live and free of charge from the Ulrich Haberland Stadium from 13:50 CET...
Show more
Will Bayer 04 emulate their away wins at Benfica and Manchester City? Newcastle United are the visitors at a sold-out BayArena on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET/live on Werkself Radio) to round off the UEFA Champions League games for the year. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke in advance about the momentum in Europe's premier club competition and gave an encouraging personnel update. Jarell Quansah also spoke about his experiences playing against Nick Woltemade and his wish for the Bayer 04 fans.
Show more
Newcastle United have amassed nine points after five matchdays, one more in the UEFA Champions League than the Werkself. The Magpies are also steadily improving in the Premier League, where they're currently unbeaten in four games. On Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Eddie Howe's side will be the visitors at the BayArena. He's also likely to field two Germany internationals in the game. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show more
The situation ahead of the showdown is clear - and promising. The Bayer 04 U19s host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday of the 2025/26 UEFA Youth League phase. A win at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium would see the Werkself go through to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time. Ahead of the clash on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/livestream on bayer04.de and in the Bayer 04 app), coach Kevin Brok spoke about the successful build-up, his assessment of the match and the danger of underestimating the already eliminated English side.
Show more