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"We have the opportunity to experience a unique atmosphere at our stadium tomorrow. It's also something very special for our players. We are enjoying the moment," said Alonso at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.
The coach shared his views on the prospects: "We will need an almost perfect performance to come out on top against such a strong opponent. It will be a big challenge. We are absolutely aware of that." Nevertheless, Alonso admitted: "Of course, it's a big match but it's not an end of the season decider. There are only three points available. There are so many games until the end of the season.
The 42-year-old coach said the reigning champions from Munich had a "winners DNA". FC Bayern will have to manage without a large number of players but the Spaniard does not think that will be crucial: "It doesn't matter how many players they have on the sidelines. We are expecting the strongest opponent to date – both as a team and on an individual level."
Therefore, the main job will be "for us to maintain our good energy at the moment and our ideas and what we've prepared and then show it at any time in the game," said Alonso. That not only includes individual strengths for the individual positions but, above all, a "collective top performance."
As usual, Alonso kept his cards close to his chest on a possible starting line-up. He only confirmed the goalkeeper: Lukas Hradecky will be the keeper for the Werkself against the record champions.
Odilon Kossounou is still away at AFCON. The defender with the Ivory Coast is in the final against Nigeria on Sunday 11 February (kick-off: 21.00 CET). Also missing are the sidelined Victor Boniface and Arthur. It is also "still too soon" for Exequiel Palacios , said Alonso: "We need him for lots more games so we won't take any risks for this one match."
Alonso had words of praise for Granit Xhaka: "He is on top of his game at the moment. He is physically and mentally extremely strong, very competitive, he has an incredible understanding of the game and is a great influence on all his teammates. He communicates a lot and his teammates trust him. We are benefiting from him very much. It's simply a pleasure to work with players like Granit."
The BayArena has been sold out for months. 3,000 visiting fans are expected from Munich. Alonso is also looking forward to the support from the stands: "The connection with the fans is the most important thing. We feel their pleasure and enthusiasm and enjoy being able to give them something back very much. We hope we can make them happy again tomorrow."
Please note: As there is increased activity on the ticket black market for top games, Bayer 04 asks all ticketholders to check their tickets have come via official Bayer 04 channels. Otherwise it could lead to complications at the ground and even bar entry to the stadium.
The final whistle of the current 2025/26 season marks the end of a unique partnership for Bayer 04 Leverkusen. After more than three decades of collaboration and highly eventful times, the Bundesliga football club and the private brewery Bitburger are going their separate ways.
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A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen are bringing back Kerim Alajbegovic, who joined Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2025. The Bundesliga club activated the buy-back option in the contract with the Bosnia international, who has enjoyed great success at the Austrian top-flight club since the start of the current season. Alajbegovic moved to Salzburg from the Leverkusen U19s last year. The 1.86-metre forward has signed a five-year contract at Leverkusen with a start date of 1 July 2026.
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Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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