Following the 5-2 defeat against TSG Hoffenheim and the cup exit against FC Köln (0-1), the Leverkusen women’s team will be looking to get back on track in Emsland to build on the successful start to the season (3 wins, 2 draws, 2 defeats) in the FLYERALARM Women’s Bundesliga. The forthcoming opposition are currently five places behind the Black and Reds after two draws at the start of the season were followed by six defeats on the bounce. That means the team coached by Wulf-Rüdiger Müller and with former Leverkusen keeper Laura Sieger in the side are bottom of the table.
Looking at the game against the bottom-p[aced club, Müller’s opposite number Achim Feifel wants see a different team dynamic and the desire to win from his players that was evident at the start to the season. “If we play like we did against Hoffenheim and Köln then our chances aren’t good – including against Meppen,” said the 56-year-old.
The Leverkusen head coach sounded a warning about underestimating SVM. “The Emslanders are strong, good at winning the ball and athletic plus very solid in defence. They have attacking players who are quick in counter-attacks and we’ll have to keep an eye on them,” said Feifel who is expecting an improvement in performance from his team after two defeats: “We have to remember where we were a couple of weeks ago. Every player have to perform to their full potential, play with great passion, show a good work rate and commitment. We’ll have to go all the way and fight for every ball.”
Feifel has a full squad to choose from with the exception of the two long-term injuries and the goalkeeper duo. In addition to Pauline Wimmer, who is currently in rehab after her torn cruciate, Jessica Wich was also sidelined a few days ago. The captain suffered a broken ankle in the home game against Hoffenheim and will probably be out of action for the the rest of this year. Feifel will also have to manage without the two keepers Joyce Prabel (muscular problem) and Anna Wellmann (finger operation) on Sunday.
The Bayer 04 women’s team secured a win in the friendly during the international break. Without a total of eight international players, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team defeated Bundesliga 2 side Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1 at the Kurtekotten Training Centre, thanks to goals from Lobke Loonen (1’, penalty), Caroline Kehrer (41') and Valentina Mädl (66').
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without striker Christian Kofane in the coming weeks. The 20-year-old sustained a muscle injury to his left thigh on international duty with the Cameroon national team during the recent international break. This will prevent him from playing in the upcoming Werkself matches.
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FSV Mainz 05 went into the international break on the back of an away win at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Currently sixth in the table, the Rheinhessen side – who have been impressive on the road – now aim to continue their good start to the Bundesliga campaign at home when they face the Werkself on Saturday, 10 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). In terms of squad selection, Urs Fischer once again has more options at his disposal. Up front, the Mainz coach is likely to continue relying on what is currently the league’s most successful strike partnership. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fans ask, Carolin Simon answers: As part of Bayer 04’s second Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit, the Leverkusen captain took questions from the community. The full-back, who returned to the club this summer after ten years away, set aside an hour and a half for the Q&A session with fans, offering a very personal insight into, amongst other things, her daily life as a footballer and her role as captain, as well as her passion for Pokémon.
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