Kai, you didn't produce your best performance against Stuttgart but are through to the quarter-finals. What's your assessment of the game a few days after the match?
We knew beforehand it would be a tough game. Stuttgart are in the second division and at the end of the day we've got more quality in our squad but it was the DFB Cup. The underdogs always have a chance. And Stuttgart played well. They sat back and were very compact in defence. That meant we had little space and they were able to play on the break. And they did that well several times. It definitely wasn't our best game in this competition although it's only really all about going through to the next round.
You were captain of Bayer 04 for the first time against VfB. How did you feel on the night?
Personally, it's obviously a great feeling. Being allowed to be captain of this team is, in my eyes, appreciation for the years of hard work for this club. It really means something to me to be able to lead the team onto the pitch as captain even if my first priority is to play football. And then it's not so important if I've got the armband or not.
Dortmund went out of the cup against Werder Bremen but have really impressed in the league with three wins and incredible power up front. How do think the game will turn out?
I've got a good feeling about the game. We can't afford to sit back and we have to be very confident. That will be necessary. For me, BVB are currently one of the best teams in the league along with Bayern and Leipzig. It will be a really tough task. But we'll do all we can to win the game.
How can you, as a team, keep on top of the outstanding BVB strikers Haaland and Sancho?
They've got a terrific attack. Don't forget Julian Brandt. I think he's a key factor in the recent run in the Bundesliga alongside Haaland and Sancho. Of course, it will be important to organise our overall defence but we should think about our own strengths first. In the first half of the season we showed we could dominate against Dortmund. We should build on that and use our chances better than in the first match this season.
You played alongside Julian 'Jule' Brandt at Bayer 04 for many years . But I suppose your friendship will be over for 90 minutes?
We’re good at separating the two things. I can remember our legendary clash on the console. (He smiles). On the pitch, we’ll do all we can to win for our teams and afterwards he will be very welcome to come into our dressing room.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 3-2 win against Werder Bremen on Matchday 6 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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Thanks to a thrilling second-half comeback, the Bayer 04 women’s team secured their first home win this term. Against Werder Bremen, the Werkself stepped up their game significantly after the break and turned a two-goal deficit into a 3–2 win. Cornelia Kramer (54’, 56’) and Lobke Loonen (81’) scored the goals that earned coach Roberto Pätzold’s team their first points at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium in the current Bundesliga season.
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A commanding performance: In a friendly during the international break, Bayer 04 defeated third-division newcomers SC Fortuna Köln 6–0. Martin Terrier and Patrik Schick scored twice each with Nathan Tella and Miguel Gutiérrez netting the other goals for Leverkusen. Due to preparations at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium for tonight’s Bayer 04 women’s Bundesliga home game against Werder Bremen (kick-off: 18:30 CEST), the fixture against the Cologne side was played at the Werkself training ground.
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Whenever the leading figures in European club football come together, Bayer 04 are right in the thick of it: At the 33rd General Assembly of the European Football Clubs (EFC) in Copenhagen, Fernando Carro, CEO, and Simon Rolfes, Managing Director Sport, discussed key sporting and economic issues for the future.
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