The fact that Hoffenheim are still unbeaten this season and currently lie three points ahead of Bayer 04, "says a lot about their quality," as Roger Schmidt added: "TSG are clearly doing a lot right. They often choose the tactic of playing five at the back with a lot of disciplined and defensively oriented players ensuring stability. They are quick at switching play and invest a lot of energy. In addition, they have found a target player in Sandro Wagner who perfectly suits their game."
For Roger Schmidt that is no reason at all to divert from his own plans. "We want to carry on against Hoffenheim where we left off in the Champions League against Tottenham Hotspur: The key element is improving on the discrepancy between effort and reward. On top of all the attractive football we want to score goals and, above all, win. To do that we need to be very focused in front of goal and discover the fun of scoring."
In terms of personnel available for Saturday, Schmidt spoke about a number of question marks. Hakan Calhanoglu, who went off at half-time against Tottenham due to a back problem, is "still feeling pain. It's looking negative for him. I don't want to make a final decision a moment but it's not looking good." Captain Lars Bender, was after the UCL match, according to Schmidt "shattered. The day off will have done him good. We'll see on Friday how he's feeling." The same applies to Stefan Kießling who "played over 90 minutes for the first time in a long while. We'll have to wait and see how he's recovered." Striker Chicharito is suffering with a cold and he too is a doubt.
Info for the fans
With the exception of the visitors section, Bayer 04 are expecting a sell-out at the BayArena for the match against Hoffenheim. Ticket offices will be open on the day of the game. For the fourth time on Saturday, Werkself fans will also be able to enjoy highly reduced ticket prices and a wide range of events: Bayer 04 invites supporters to the home match against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for a family day, again presented by health partner pronova BKK.
The Werkself are away to SC Freiburg on Bundesliga Matchday 32. The penultimate away game of the season is today Sunday, 4 May with a 17:30 CEST kick-off at the Europa Park Stadion. Read on for the latest information in today's matchday news.
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Bayer 04 Women claimed victory in their final home game of the season after Cornelia Kramer’s goal first-half proved the difference against RB Leipzig. Her 11th of the campaign also saw the Werkself extend their club record in the first division to 43 points with one match still to play. Three players were given a send-off before the game as they leave for pastures new.
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Could this be the year that Freiburg finally get into the Champions League. They have come close a number of times in recent seasons, but a run of three straight wins has put the Black Forest club in pole position for a historic achievement ahead of Sunday’s Matchday 32 encounter with the Werkself. Here’s all you need to know about our next opponents.
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Charlotte Voll has agreed a two-year extension to her contract at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The 26-year-old keeper now has a contract to 30 June 2027. The Karlsruhe-born goalkeeper joined the Werkself in the summer of 2023.
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