Following the 2-0 defeat to MSV Duisburg on Saturday, head coach Achim Feifel said, “we discussed our performance yesterday and analysed the game.” His team’s approach to the cup tie is clear: “We have to be more disciplined against Hoffenheim and defend with more mentality. We will wait for one or two chances on the break against an opponent who are actually the favourites.”
For the 55-year-old, one of Hoffenheim’s biggest strengths is their quality on the pitch: “They’re a very skilful and, above all, well-practised team with a positive build-up and variable attacking game. In addition, they have a very dangerous striker in their squad in Nicole Billa. They are also very dangerous from set pieces with a number of players who are good in the air.”
This season’s DFB Cup campaign started with a 2-1 away win at Borussia Mönchengladbach. That was followed by a hard-fought 1-0 victory FFC Frankfurt that took the Bayer 04 Women through to the last eight. Hoffenheim have clocked up convincing away wins in the their cup run with a 7-0 scoreline at Hessen Wetzlar followed by a 6-1 FF USV Jena.
The personnel situation remains unchanged after the Duisburg game: The long-term absentees Melissa Friedrich, Pauline Wimmer (both cruciate injuries) and Karoline Heinze (back problems) are still sidelined and the game comes too soon for Isabel Kerschowski (muscular problems). Pauline Machtens has returned to the squad.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the match will be played behind closed doors. Fans of the Werkself Women can watch the tie live on DFB-TV (tv.dfb.de).
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show moreTo all Bayer 04 fans: The Fanwelt will be closed all day next Monday 30 June. This is due to preparations for the change of kit supplier from Castore to New Balance on Tuesday 1 July.
Show moreThe Norway U23 international Julie Jorde has completed the move from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Brøndby IF. The twelve-time champions of Denmark have signed the midfielder on permanent terms after her loan move from the Bundesliga to Denmark in the winter.
Show moreIt is almost two years since Bayer 04 new signing Abdoulaye Faye first stepped foot into the BayArena as a player for the Swedish club BK Häcken in the opening match in the 2023/24 Europa League campaign. A day before his nineteenth birthday, the central defender did not play in the 4-0 win for the Werkself but it was "an incredible night" for him on 21 September 2023 as he explained in his first interview on bayer04.de. "I watched the players and saw the fans. I liked it." It was also the first European night early on in his career. He only joined the then champions of Sweden in the cold north of Europe from his home in Senegal a few weeks before that special moment. Bayer04.de profiles our new defender.
Show moreWelcome, Abdoulaye Faye. The 20-year-old Senegalese central defender joins Leverkusen from top-flight Swedish club BK Häcken. In his first interview he talks about his move to Bayer 04 and his targets with the Werkself.
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