Nearly four months ago on the penultimate matchday of last season, the Bayer 04 Women and FC Köln faced each other in a relegation battle in the FLYERALARM Women’s Bundesliga. The Black and Reds won the game 3-1– and thereby secured top-flight status while the team from Cologne were relegated to the second division after finishing level on points but with a worse goal difference
“Köln will be particularly motivated against us, ” declared Bayer 04 head coach Achim Feifel. But the same applies to his team. “We will need to be highly aggressive but we also need to keep a clear head at the same time and assert control.” In the recent Bundesliga matches against Eintracht Frankfurt, Werder Bremen and Essen, his players produced impressive team performance and now it’s about building on it: “We want to play our own game and we need lots of periods of possession and efficiency – we have to use our attacking strength,” the coach explained. He believes FC Köln will try to draw his players “into tackles and look to pose a threat with quick counter-attacks. It will be a tough fight!”
Köln – unbeaten with maximum points so far this term – brought in some big-name players before the season to strengthen the squad. “They have a strong squad. You can’t let yourself be misled by the league they’re in. FC are not a typical second division team,” warned Feifel. In addition to Mandy Islacker (from Bayern Munich), Lena Lotzen (SC Freiburg) and goalkeeper Manon Klett (SC Sand), former Leverkusen players Sharon Beck and Marith Müller-Prießen have also joined the team. From the Leverkusen perspective, there is a reunion with former teammates: Juliane Wirtz and Ann-Kathrin Vinken used to play for FC Köln.
The Leverkusen head coach is considering rotating his starting eleven and his squad following the international break: “Everybody who has been here, has trained very well in the past few days. The decision of who plays in the Cup tie will be difficult.” The international players have come back fit and well and in Leverkusen several players have returned to full training after knocks having had time off during the international break – as did Sylwia Matysik this week after a muscle injury but she is not an option for the derby exactly like Henrietta Csiszar (knee) and Sofie Zdebel (muscular problem) who are both in rehab training. Also absent are long-term injuries Pauline Wimmer (torn cruciate) and Joyce Prabel (muscle injury) plus reserve keeper Anna Wellmann. She tore a ligament in her finger during training and had to undergo an operation.
Issa Traoré is moving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Slovakian top-flight side AS Trencin. The club has loaned the centre-back out for one year to this year’s ninth-placed team in the Slovakian league.
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Assistant coach Remzi Kahraman is leaving the Bayer 04 Women’s team with immediate effect to take up a new challenge abroad. The club has agreed to the 31-year-old’s request to leave, although his contract was originally due to run until 2027. A decision on his successor will be announced shortly.
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At the U19 European Championship in Wales, the Germany U19 national team lost their third and final group match 4-0 to Spain. Several regulars, including Bayer 04 players Montrell Culbreath and Francis Onyeka (on loan to SV Elversberg), who had combined for four goals and assists in the two previous victories, did not feature,. Germany had already secured their place in the semi-finals with a game to spare.
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Two weeks into the preseason, the Bayer 04 Women have secured their first victory. Coach Roberto Pätzold’s team won their first friendly 2–0 against Bundesliga newcomers Mainz 05. In front of 160 spectators at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, the two summer signings, Maja Sternad (80’) and Justine Brandau (90’), scored for the Black and Reds.
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