Bayer 04 head coach Achim Feifel, who agreed a contract extension to 2024 this week, made three changes to his line-up for the 3-2 defeat at Werder Bremen. Anna Klink took the place of Anna Wellmann in goal against SGS. In addition, Lilla Turányi replaced Ann-Kathrin Vinken in central defence – midfield dynamo Sylwia Matysik made her comeback in a holding role after a long injury-layoff.
Confident start
The Bayer 04 Women were on the front foot from the kick-off and were clearly determined to make amends for last Sunday’s unlucky defeat in Bremen. Milena Nikolic received the ball up front and immediately looked to find her Japanese strike partner Mina Tanaka. She was initially blocked off but the Essen defence were unable to clear and Kristin Kögel had the first attempt on goal in the game. But the ball flew a good three feet over the SGS goal (4’). Kögel was centre stage again nine minutes later – the 21-year-old broke through to the byline and won the first corner of the match for the Werkself women. The set piece taken by Rackow was punched away for another corner by the SGS keeper Stina Johannes. Kögel put the ball in the box and Bayer 04 top scorer Nikolic was able to net her header for the opening goal (12’) – the twelfth goal of the season for Nikolic.
Achim Feifel’s team had control of the game against the eighth-placed team from Essen early on. The first threat on goal from SGS was snuffed out by former Essen player Nina Brüggemann with a strong challenge on Estelle Laurier (20’). The Black and Reds continued to press high up the pitch and almost doubled the lead on 22 minutes. An effort from Bayer 04 midfielder Gianna Rackow from distance bounced just in front of the SGS keeper Johannes and she parried it to the side. The lively Tanaka was inches away from a tap-in to make it 2-0.
Save by Turányi
The Bayer 04 defence, mostly at a loose end up to that point, were tested ten minutes later when Lilla Turányi intervened for the first time. The 17-year-old Essen player Carlotta Wamser sprinted towards the Werkself shot-stopper Klink. Turányi was able to clear the danger with a sliding tackle just outside the Bayer 04 box (33’). There was more of a threat on 39 minutes: SGS midfielder Jill Baijings broke through down the left flank and hit a low cross into the penalty area. But, Wamser managed to put the the ball over the bar from five yards out – lucky for the Feifel team.
The fact the Werkself Women went into half-time with a deserved 2-0 lead was down to the set piece specialists Kögel and Tanaka. Kögel once again put in a precise cross from the right side of midfield into the penalty area where the Japanese flicked the ball into the net with her head to make it 2-0 – Johannes did get a hand to the ball but was unable to keep it out of the back of the net (42’).
Wonder goal rouses Essen
The Feifel team were unchanged for the start of the second 45. There was a rude awakening for the Werkself Women shortly after the restart and a first half where they were hardly troubled by SGS. The Essen striker Wamser avoided a sliding tackle from Matysik and tried her luck from 25 yards out. The powerful long-range effort flew into the top right corner of the net leaving the Bayer 04 keeper Klink with no chance of making a save (53’). The visitors were like a different team after pulling a goal back and they sought to gain control of proceedings with some extended passing moves. First, Bayer 04 right-back Isabel Kerschowski won out against Baijings in the penalty area (72’), then Dora Zeller intervened at the last moment to stop a dangerous cross from Baijings reaching Jacqueline Klaßen (73’)
The Feifel team had another scare late on as SGS pressed forward in search of the equaliser. However, the Werkself keeper Klink only had to keep out a long-range shot from Eleni Markou (88’) and the game ended in a 2-1 win for Bayer 04.
Bayer 04 head coach Achim Feifel talked about “a fortunate win” after the match: “I think the first half was evenly balanced and we went ahead from two set pieces. Essen pinned us back in the second half and we defended with passion right to the end.”
Women entertain Meppen
With nine points from the last four games, the trend is very positive for the Werkself Women. The Leverkusen Women have consolidated fifth place with the win against SG Essen-Schönebeck and are now level on points with FFC Turbine Potsdam who lost 3-2 to Bayern Munich on Wednesday. After a short break, Bayer 04 entertain SV Meppen on 9 May (kick-off: 14.00 CEST) in the closing stages of the FLYERALARM Women’s. Feifel is hoping to use the time without games to prepare intensively for the remaining fixtures: “We have recharge our batteries to be able to win the last three games.”
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Klink – Sahlmann (Vinken 74’), Turányi, Brüggemann, Kerschowski – Zeller, Kögel (Csiszar 59’), Matysik, Rackow (Rackow 59’) – Nikolic, Tanaka (Bücher 86’)
SGS Essen: Johannes – Klasen, Räcke (Piljic 26’), S. Ostermeier, L. Ostermeier (Wilde 46’) – Senß (Ioannidou 46’), Markou, Laurier (Sterner 46’), Baijings, Wamser – Feldkamp
Goals: 1-0 Nikolic (12’), 2-0 Tanaka (42’), 2-1 Wamser (53’)
Booked Zeller (60’) / Wamser (54’)
Referee: Nadine Westerhoff (Bochum)
