Some matches are about the table. This one is also about memory. Bayer 04 return to a home meeting with VfB Stuttgart carrying the reminder of last season’s one-sided defeat, when they trailed 0:4 at halftime before Alejandro Grimaldo later made it 1:4. That is the kind of result that lingers, especially when the next meeting comes around with another point to prove.
The broader context makes the rematch even more interesting. Before that defeat last season, Schwarz-Rot had gone 15 competitive matches unbeaten against Stuttgart, a run that showed how well Bayer 04 had historically handled this opponent. The previous home game changed that picture quickly, and now the challenge is not just to win, but to show that the old balance can be restored.
Why this rematch matters
There is also a practical reason this matchup feels different. VfB Stuttgart arrive with only six Bundesliga points and sit one place above the relegation zone, which is not where a club with their recent Champions League performances would want to be. That contrast makes the fixture awkward: the reputation suggests danger, but the league position suggests vulnerability. For Bayer 04, that usually means a test of concentration rather than a simple exercise in superiority.
One of the reasons Bayer 04 can approach the game with confidence is the form of Ibrahim Maza. The attacking midfielder has been directly involved in 39 shots in the current Bundesliga season, and he scored and assisted in the recent league home win over SC Freiburg. That kind of output matters because it gives Bayer 04 a more direct route to goal, especially in a match where Stuttgart’s structure and motivation may make the first breakthrough decisive.
Bayer 04 also know they have been competitive at home in other areas of the club this week. The U19 beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2:1 on the 10th matchday of the 2026/27 DFB-Nachwuchsliga preliminary round, while the U17 lost 0:2 at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday midday. Those results do not change the first team’s task, but they do add to the feeling of a club week built around momentum, correction and response.
Even the travel note around Leverkusen adds a small layer to the picture, with the A46 to A59 connection toward Leverkusen closed since the start of the week and traffic diverted via Düsseldorf-Eller. It is a reminder that this is a week when nothing around Bayer 04 is especially straightforward. On the pitch, though, the demand is simple: erase the memory of that 0:4 halftime deficit and show that the rematch belongs to them this time.
