
Head coach Achim Feifel is expecting a similar game against the third-placed team as in the cup tie on Tuesday: "The opponents are the favourites again. They showed their strengths in the cup game. Although they did miss a lot of clear-cut chances. We did have luck on our side on lots of occasions and that can change on Friday."
The 55-year-old is again expecting a hard-fought game: "Hoffenheim will be looking to take revenge for the defeat in the cup tie. That makes them even more difficult to play against than normal." His team will need to produce a similarly impressive performance to the one on Tuesday: "You have to put opponents like that under pressure so that they can't get on the front foot. You could see that clearly in the cup game: When we didn't apply enough pressure and gave the opponent too much space they were able to create good goalscoring opportunities. But as soon as our pressing worked well, we were able to force TSG into making mistakes and launch counter-attacks."
The personnel situation ahead of the match has continued to ease compared with recent games. Only long-term injuries Melissa Friedrich, Pauline Wimmer (both torn cruciates) and Karoline Heinze (back problems) are still sidelined. Isabel Kerschowski returns to the squad after recovering from muscle problems. There will be a change between the sticks: Anna Klink, who is the number one in the league, returns in goal.

Tickets for the first two Bayer 04 women’s team home games are now on general sale. A week after their league opener away at RB Leipzig, Roberto Pätzold’s side will face last season’s runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, in the first home fixture on Sunday 30 August (kick-off: 16:00 CEST). Fifteen days later, on Monday night, 14 September (kick-off: 18:00 CEST), the Leverkusen Women host German champions Bayern Munich at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium for a top-of-the-table league clash. You can now also select specific seats via the online shop. The latest information on match ticket sales.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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