The first three points are in the bag and the Werkself women are looking to double that total on Friday night. After the away win at Freiburg, the team go into the next game with momentum. “It’s good if you win the first game straight off as it gives you a boost,” said Feifel, who refuses to get carried away: “A positive mood is good but we have to keep our feet on the ground. At the end of the day, we can’t say everything went brilliantly in the first game. We have to be realistic as some things didn’t work against Freiburg and we have to put that right.”
Duisburg started the season with a goalless draw against newly promoted SV Meppen. Last season, the MSV Women, who appointed the former Bayer 04 assistant coach Niko Schneck (2017-2018 under Heiko Herrlich) as assistant to head coach Thomas Gerstner in the summer, were a direct rival for Leverkusen in the battle to avoid relegation. MSV had the upper hand in the head-to-head games in 2019/20 winning both home and away. Feifel is also expecting Duisburg to present a tough challenge in the new season: “The opponents are almost as strong as last season. The squad has more or less stayed the same. They are tough in defence, defend well and are compact, are physical and have players who want to force the opponents into making challenges.”
The coach demands: “We have to perform to the max at our level. We have to see every game and every opponent in the Bundesliga as a big challenge as that’s the only way we’ll be able to get a result in every match.”
In terms of personnel, Bayer 04 have all but one player available from last weekend’s squad: Milena Nikolic replaces Barbara Reger. Pauline Wimmer (torn cruciate), Verena Wieder (rehab after torn cruciate), Sofie Zdebel, Joyce Prabel (both muscle injuries) and Nico Banecki (absent through illness) are also sidelined.
The match at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium will be played behind closed doors. Bayer 04 fans can follow the game from home: Eurosport is broadcasting the match live on Free TV and the encounter is on the streaming service MagentaSport.
In the first episode of the new interview series "A New Chapter", Werkself defender Jarell Quansah reflects on his first few months under the Cross and speaks about his journey from England to Leverkusen. Having come through the ranks at Liverpool, a new chapter began for Quansah in the summer at Bayer 04 — with new objectives, fresh challenges and much ambition. In the video, the centre-back speaks about his development as a player and person, about the courage to leave your own comfort zone, and about what it means for him to be part of an international team in a different country. Honest, reflective and full of motivation — just like the start of his Werkself career.
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Full focus on Hoffenheim: after the late postponement of the away match at Hamburger SV, the Werkself are looking forward. To get themselves in top shape for the key clash at top-six rivals TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday 17 January (kick-off 15:30 CET), a number of players showed full commitment even on a day off - including two AFCON returnees...
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After Rio de Janeiro, it's off to Thuringia: This summer, Bayer 04 Leverkusen will prepare for the 2026/27 football season in Germany. While Brazil was the destination last year, the Werkself will now set up their training camp in Blankenhain, just outside Erfurt, from 1 to 7 August 2026.
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Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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Due to the last-minute postponement of the Bundesliga match between Hamburg and the Werkself on Tuesday, 13 January, Bayer 04 will reimburse the ticket price to all 3,500 fans who had already travelled to Hamburg as a sign of appreciation. The tickets remain valid for the rescheduled match (date not yet set).
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