Bayer 04 made four changes to the starting eleven from the 3-0 win against Dutch top-flight side PEC Zwolle for the second friendly of the preseason. Head coach Achim Feifel opted to put four new signings in the starting line-up: Friederike Abt in goal plus Lisanne Gräwe, Amira Arfaoui and Irina Pando. But his team conceded after two minutes. Hoffenheim’s Petra Kocsan scored from a free kick from the inside left position.
The best chance for the Black and Reds fell to Milena Nikolic just before half-time: The centre-forward was put through by new signing Pando but her shot from close range went over the bar (45+1’). The scoreline remained 1-0 at the break.
At the start of the second 45 – as before the half-time whistle from referee Franziska Hilger – there were changes on both sides. The Hoffenheim scorer of the second goal, Isabella Hartwig, came off the bench. She beat the substitute Bayer 04 keeper Anna Klink with a long-range shot from 20 metres out on 68 minutes.
Henrike Sahlmann, who has played for Leverkusen for four years, said after the game against last season’s third-placed team in the FLYERALARM Women’s Bundesliga: “We played against a very good opponent so it was a good test for us for the new season,” said the 24-year-old. “We improved over the course of the game and were well organised in defence in the second half.” But Sahlmann believes there is room for improvement in converting chances as she said with a wink of the eye: “Hopefully, we’re saving that for the league.”
The five-day training camp for the Bayer 04 Women at Wiesensee ends tomorrow. The Feifel team ahead of the league opener at newly-promoted FC Carl Zeiss Jena (29 August). VfL Wolfsburg are the opposition on Friday 20 August. The kick-off in the motor city is at 15.30 CEST.
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Abt – Wieder, Turanyi, Wirtz, Marti – Gräwe, Kögel – Arfaoui, Zeller, Pando – Nikolic
TSG Hoffenheim: Tufekovic – Wienroither, Specht, Feldkamp – Brand, Harsch, Hagel, Kocsan – Corley, Billa – de Caigny
Goals: 0-1 Kocsan (2’), 0-2 Hartwig (68’)
Referee: Franziska Hilger
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
Show more
Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
Show more
A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
Show more
A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
Show more
At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
Show more
