One day to go before Gerardo Seoane, the Swiss head coach at the Werkself, stands on the touchline at the Bruno Plache Stadium in Leipzig. A crowd of over 6,000, including 500 from Leverkusen, will make themselves heard from the stands on Saturday from 15.30 CEST. "We are all very much looking forward to be able to experience the atmosphere and emotion of the crowd," declared Seoane at the pre-match press conference on Friday. "It feels very different. It will definitely be special, above all for the youngest in the team who haven't played a first-team game in front of spectators before."
Head coach Seoane will have to manage without six of his players in the clash with the fourth tier team from Leipzig. While Jonathan Tah is suspended, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Edmond Tapsoba are still ruled out through injury. Also sidelined are Lucas Alario and new signing Mitchel Bakker with minor injuries. In addition, Paulinho is in the Olympic Games final with Brazil against Spain in Japan on Saturday afternoon at 13.30 CEST. “With the players where there were slight doubts after the week of training, we are assuming they will be able to play," said Seoane.
The Werkself are set to face underdogs FC Lokomotive Leipzig whose coach Almedin Civa described the Leverkusen draw as a "gift". His opposite number Seoane believes there will be a "classic cup tie" at the Bruno Plache Stadium. The Bayer 04 head coach added: "Leipzig will be highly motivated for the tie. We have to go into the game with the same aggression as them and then win the match by the quality of our play."
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky and Werkself Radio
Referee: The match officials will be announced on the day of the game
A first win in the preseason: In the last friendly before the start of a two-week break in training, the Bayer 04 Women beat top-flight Dutch side Ajax 1-0. In the match played over three 30-minute thirds Vanessa Fudalla scored the goal for the Werkself. In the previous two friendlies this summer, the team led by head coach Roberto Pätzold lost 2-0 two Bundesliga rivals TSG Hoffenheim and drew 1-1 with the Dutch team PEC Zwolle.
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Alejo Sarco has joined the Werkself training camp in Brazil. The 19-year-old striker, signed from Argentinian club Vélez Sarsfield in January, talks to bayer04.de about his first six months in Germany, help from Exequiel Palacios and his targets up to the end of the year.
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The friendly against the CR Flamengo U20 team on Friday, 18 July (kick-off: 14:30/19:30 CEST) represents the sporting highlight of the current Bayer 04 Brazil Tour. Ahead of the clash at the Estádio da Gávea against the highly successful youth team, there was a media event with the two Bayer 04 managing directors Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes plus head coach Erik ten Hag. The trio talked about the forthcoming opponents, first impressions of Brazil and the reasons for holding the training camp in the land of the five-time World Cup winners. Here are the key statements.
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Day three of the Bayer 04 Brazil Tour. Today, Thursday 17 July, sees the two new signings Jarell Quansah and Christian Kofane join the squad in training. Plus the former Werkself players Paulo Sergio and Rodrigo Chagas visit the Bayer AG Football School. In the afternoon there is a big media event ahead of the friendly against the Flamengo U20s. As usual, Bayer04.de keeps you up-to-date with on-the-spot reports. The blog for day three of the Bayer 04 Brazil Tour (timings given in local time).
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