With four changes to the side that lost 2-0 at the double winners VfL Wolfsburg, the Werkself Women competed on equal terms with Duisburg in the opening stages. “It was clear to us ahead of the game that we might have to grin and bear it playing on a tricky surface,” said Bayer 04 head coach Achim Feifel.
But his team accepted the challenge and soon created the first chance of the game. Debutant Gianna Rackow tried her luck from the inside position on four minutes from eighteen yards out. But the MSV keeper Meike Kämper saved the shot. The visitors found their feet after ten minutes and increasingly took control of the game. The Black and Reds did not give much away at the back and they looked dangerous up front. The opening goal was not undeserved.
Dora Zeller played a long ball from midfield to Rackow in the inside right channel. A diagonal pass into the six-yard box saw found Verena Wieder and she was able to make it 1-0 with tap-in on 22 minutes. That gave the Leverkusen players even more confidence.
Up to the break, Leverkusen, with the injured Henrietta Csiszár and the suspended Milena Nikolic the top two goalscorers sidelined, could have increased their lead. A shot from Zeller from outside the box was saved by Kämper (26’). And Mina Tanaka was also denied by the MSV keeper with a great chance from close-range just before half-time (42’). The Werkself Women went into the break with a narrow but deserved 1-0 lead and Feifel’s assessment at half-time was: “We made it difficult for ourselves by missing several chances.”
And, in spite of a controlled start to the second half, it was tight at certain points in the game. Lilia Turanyi handled the ball in her own penalty area in an attempt to clear. Penalty for Duisburg. But Anna Klink, preferred to Anna Wellmann, went the right way and saved the spot kick from Geldona Morina (55’).
Shortly after that, Klink stood no chance with a shot from Hannah Wilkinson (65’), but the Duisburg player was offside when she headed the ball on. “That could have turned the game round,” admitted the coach. The Feifel team then regained their composure and went on to score again.
After winning the ball deep in the MSV half, Lara Marti was quick with the transition as she fed the ball to substitute Chiara Bücher. The 17-year-old took aim from the edge of the box and scored with a shot just under the bar to double the lead at 2-0 (74’) - the first Bundesliga goal for the Bayer 04 talent.
“We’re really happy for her with the goal,” said Feifel. “Chiara has performed really well in training for weeks and she always gives one hundred per cent. And then she scores such a great goal.” Bayer 04 kept it tight after that. The well organised defence kept MSV away from the danger area and the eighth win of the season was secured.
With 26 points, the Bayer 04 Women have consolidated fifth place in the FLYERALARM Women’s Bundesliga and are in touch with Turbine Potsdam (29 points) in fourth place.
The Feifel team are back in action on Friday with a floodlit match. On 18 points, Eintracht Frankfurt are two places behind Bayer 04. The match will be broadcast live on Eurosport.
“Of course, that will be a different challenge,” said Feifel. “The previous game was very intense. Frankfurt pushed us all the way. It will be very interesting.” In the 2-2 draw, with Frankfurt only equalising in the final minute, the Bayer 04 Women produced their best performance of the season.
Eintracht recently had two days in isolation after a case of Covid-19 in the team, which led to the rearranged game against SGS Essen being postponed. Before that there was a 1-1 draw with SV Meppen.
Match stats:
MSV Duisburg: Kämper - O'Riordan, Hochstein (Himmighofen 25’), Morina, Fürst, Grutkamp, Zielinski, Debitzki, Lange (Cin 45’), Wilkinson, Angerer (Halverkamps 45’)
Bayer 04: Klink - Vinken, Kögel (Wich 77’), Kerschowski, Wirtz (Zdebel 76’), Rackow (Sahlmann 69’), Zeller (Brüggemann 72’), Turanyi, Tanaka, Marti, Wieder (Bücher 62’)
Goals: 0-1 Wieder (22’), 0-2 Bücher (74’)
Referee: Anna-Lena Heidenreich (Sereetz)
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