Bayer Leverkusen — German Bundesliga club competing in league and European competition, recently eliminated by Bayern Munich in the German Cup semi-final.
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April 2026
The Namibian
Bayer Leverkusenlost2-0 to Bayern Munich in German Cup semi-final
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“Harry Kane and Luis Diaz scored as Bayern Munich won 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday to reach the German Cup final for the first time since 2020.”
Bayer Leverkusendrew3-3 at rock-bottom Heidenheim after leading 2-0 at half-time
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“Bayer Leverkusen's top-four hopes took a hit with a 3-3 draw at rock-bottom Heidenheim after leading 2-0 at half-time and 3-2 with five minutes remaining.”
“Leverkusen beat Werder Bremen 1-0, with former Real Madrid defender Lucas Vazquez scoring the only goal to snap a three-game losing streak, and climbed to sixth in the table.”
Liverpool sacked manager Arne Slot on Saturday after the club finished fifth in the Premier League, 25 points behind champions Arsenal, despite spending nearly £450 million on new players. Outgoing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is reportedly set to take over at Anfield.
Liverpool sacked manager Arne Slot on Saturday after the club finished fifth in the Premier League, 25 points behind champions Arsenal, despite spending nearly £450 million on new players. Outgoing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is reportedly set to take over at Anfield.
An Iranian vice president has urged that striker Sardar Azmoun be reinstated to the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, after he was omitted from the initial squad. Azmoun, 31, recently posted on Instagram affirming his loyalty to Iran and rejecting allegations of treason.
FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom described a meeting held Saturday in Istanbul with the Iranian football federation as "excellent" and "constructive," aimed at ensuring Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Iranian federation president said discussions covered concerns and joint commitment to Iran's smooth participation, though visas had not yet been issued.
Chelsea appointed Xabi Alonso as manager on a four-year contract starting July 1, 2026. Alonso, who guided Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten double in 2023/24, left Real Madrid after seven months and takes over a club that has spent over one billion pounds on players since 2022 but won no domestic trophy in eight seasons.
Wolfsburg, in 16th place (the relegation play-off spot), hosts Bayern Munich on Saturday as they fight to avoid demotion from the Bundesliga. The Wolves have won just one of their past 15 matches and sit six points behind safety.
RB Leipzig, in third place, can secure Champions League qualification with a victory over sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen this Saturday, as the Bundesliga's top-four race concludes. Leipzig are five points clear of Stuttgart and Hoffenheim, who face each other in a decisive match, while Bayern Munich has already clinched the title and Borussia Dortmund has secured second-place qualification.
RB Leipzig face Union Berlin on Friday, with Leipzig chasing Champions League qualification and Union fighting relegation. The match highlights a shift in football's leadership: Union is coached by Marie-Louise Eta, the first woman to coach a men's side in a major European league, while Leipzig's CEO is Tatjana Haenni, the first female club boss in German football history.
Bayern Munich defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 on Wednesday with goals from Harry Kane and Luis Diaz to reach the German Cup final for the first time since 2020. The victory keeps Bayern's hopes of a treble alive after securing back-to-back Bundesliga titles.
Bayern Munich are 12 points clear with five games remaining and will win the Bundesliga title with a victory against Stuttgart on Sunday, fresh from eliminating Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals. Coach Vincent Kompany may rest key players ahead of a German Cup semi-final three days later.
Bayern Munich came from two goals down in the final 10 minutes to beat Freiburg 3-2 in the Bundesliga, with Tom Bischof scoring twice and Lennart Karl grabbing the winner in stoppage time ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg at Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Florian Wirtz scored twice and set up two goals as Germany defeated Switzerland 4-3 in a friendly match in Basel, with the hosts twice taking the lead before Germany came from behind to win.
Germany's coach Julian Nagelsmann says the team's collective strength rather than individual talent will be key to their World Cup prospects, with a squad built on form and cohesion rather than reputation. Captain Joshua Kimmich and midfielder Kai Havertz highlighted how Bayern Munich's seven representatives bring "automatisms" and team spirit crucial to tournament success.
Harry Kane scored in Bayern Munich's 4-0 home victory over Union Berlin, moving to 31 goals this season and within 10 of Robert Lewandowski's single-season Bundesliga record with seven games remaining. Serge Gnabry scored twice and Michael Olise also netted as Bayern extended their league lead to 12 points.
Manager Mikel Arteta said Arsenal's League Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday will be a defining moment as the team seeks to shed their tag of "nearly men" after three consecutive second-placed Premier League finishes. Arteta acknowledged that the team must prove they can win trophies, having captured just one major trophy (the 2020 FA Cup) since he took charge in 2019.
England's six Champions League teams failed to win in first-leg matches against top European clubs, with Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham trailing by three goals each. Analysts point to fatigue from the Premier League's gruelling winter schedule without a break, physical style of play, and opponents with greater financial resources as key factors behind the disappointing results.
Max Dowman, 16, became the Premier League's youngest ever goalscorer as Arsenal defeated Everton 2-0 to extend their lead over Manchester City to nine points. City drew 1-1 with West Ham, continuing their recent struggles in the title race.
Bayern Munich drew 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen despite being reduced to nine men after two red cards in a Bundesliga clash on Saturday. Second-placed Borussia Dortmund defeated Augsburg 2-0, moving nine points behind the reigning champions with eight games remaining.
Federico Valverde scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, while PSG beat Chelsea 5-2 and Arsenal drew 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen.
Real Madrid and Manchester City will face each other in the Champions League last 16 for the fifth season running, with Madrid hosting City at the Santiago Bernabéu in the first leg next month. Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning European champions, drew Chelsea, while other notable matchups include Arsenal facing Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle playing Barcelona.
RB Leipzig host in-form Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in the Bundesliga with Leipzig's Champions League prospects fading after struggling in recent weeks, though they hold a strong home record against the visitors. Dortmund arrive in excellent form with one league defeat all season and a six-match winning run, despite being without several key defenders.
Mohamed Salah scored a penalty as Liverpool beat Brighton 3-0 in the FA Cup, while other African players made headline contributions across major European leagues, including Habib Diarra's penalty for Sunderland and Serhou Guirassy's two-goal performance for Borussia Dortmund.
RB Leipzig drew 2-2 at home to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday, with Brighton loanee Brajan Gruda scoring a late equaliser in the 89th minute after Wolfsburg had taken the lead through Mohamed Amoura, Yan Diomande, and Mattias Svanberg's goals.
Werder Bremen, sitting in the Bundesliga relegation playoff spot after 21 games, host league leaders Bayern Munich this weekend under new manager Daniel Thioune, who is tasked with steering the struggling four-time German champions away from the drop.
Real Madrid and Benfica were drawn to face each other in the Champions League playoff round after Benfica beat Madrid 4-2 in their final league phase game on Wednesday. PSG will play domestic rivals Monaco, while Newcastle will face Azerbaijan's Qarabag.
Midfielder Jamal Musiala has returned from a six-month leg injury for Bayern Munich, described by the club CEO as an "internal winter signing". The 22-year-old has made two substitute appearances and started in Bayern's midweek 2-1 Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven, where he scored.
Fifteen teams have already qualified for the Champions League knockout rounds, with seventeen more competing for remaining places in the final round of the league phase. Arsenal and Bayern Munich are assured of top-eight finishes, while PSG, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Tottenham are among the clubs battling to secure direct passage to the last 16 this week.
Augsburg defeated Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich 2-1 on Saturday, ending a 27-match unbeaten league run dating back to March. Second-placed Borussia Dortmund won 3-0 at Union Berlin to cut their deficit to eight points.
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has revealed he receives a schnitzel — his favourite German dish — from a local restaurant for every goal he scores, fuelling his brilliant season as Bayern pursue a historic third treble with just one loss in 29 games and a 71-goal Bundesliga tally so far. Kane's 21 league goals put him on track to challenge Robert Lewandowski's single-season Bundesliga record of 41 goals set in 2020-21.