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
There won’t just be plenty of excitement on the pitch as Bayer 04 host Borussia Dortmund at the BayArena at 18:30 CET on Saturday. Outside the stadium there will be collection points for food donations to the Leverkusen Foodbank, which will also benefit from the profits of a jersey raffle in the Fanwelt afterwards. There will also be a minute’s silence before kick-off following the passing of long-time Werkself player Dieter Herzog, before two fan clubs are honoured for their decades-long support at half-time and fans receive a talk about Orange Day, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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Bayer 04 go into the first of two successive clashes with Borussia Dortmund boosted by their Champions League win at Manchester City. Ahead of the Bundesliga top match on Saturday, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET), coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the tight schedule, BVB's strengths and returning squad members.
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Borussia Dortmund are doing very well in terms of points and results in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. BVB have only suffered two defeats to date this term. Now coach Niko Kovac's team are away to the Werkself on Saturday night, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET) in the top match on Bundesliga matchday 12. The two teams meet again three days later in the DFB Pokal Round of 16 tie in Dortmund. Two very competitive encounters are on the cards. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The Bayer 04 Women clcoked up a 3-2 win in a friendly against Twente Enschede on Thursday afternoon in the last international break of 2025. In drizzle, Lilla Turanyi (16’), Kristin Kögel (65’) and Paulina Bartz (69’) scored the goals for the Werkself against the Dutch Eredivisie Vrouwen leaders, who are still unbeaten in the league.
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