The first half started with both teams challenging with high intensity. The Werkself Women had a brief anxious moment when Anna Klink failed to connect with a back pass but the ball rolled just wide of her goal. Juliane Wirtz dropped back into the back four to escape the pressing of the Frankfurt team and Bayer 04 gained control of the game..
Bayer 04 deservedly took the lead on seven minutes: The ball was won in the Frankfurt half and Kristin Kögel moved it on. The 21-year-old looked up and picked out the run of Mina Tanaka who left the Frankfurt goalkeeper Merle Frohms with no chance as she hit a placed left-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the net – 1-0. It was the first goal for the winter signing.
A promising start that did not last for very long: A diagonal ball was played to Frankfurt's Geraldine Reuteler and her cross found the unmarked Laura Freigang and she beat Klink to level at 1-1. The next blow for Bayer 04 came on 25 minutes: A corner sailed over the six- yard box and Tanja Pawollek was at the far post to head home to turn the game round.
"The first half was relatively evenly balanced. The two goals for Frankfurt were very unlucky, we weren't at our best and we had to pick ourselves up," said Feifel in assessing the events of the first half. Up to half-time, Eintracht set about defending their lead – which they succeeded in doing as a Leverkusen lacked accuracy with the final ball.
The action came thick and fast at the start of the second half. Frankfurt were awarded a penalty almost immediately after the restart (46') when the captain on the day Ann-Kathrin Vinken unluckily handled the ball. Lara Prasnikar took the ensuing penalty but she hit the outside of the right-hand post and the ball went out. The Werkself could have levelled straightaway: First, Milena Nikolic put a header against the post and the Frankfurt keeper Frohms saved the follow-up shot from Tanaka. The ball rebounded to Nikolic who hit the woodwork and the fourth attempt by Tanaka was cleared off the line (47').
Bayer 04 remained very focused and had more possession. Tanaka deservedly scored the equaliser (69'). Lara Marti hit a long-range shot and Frohms was only able to parry the ball. Tanaka gratefully accepted the gift with a tap-in to make it 2-2. The Werkself women tasted blood and pressed for the third goal. Their courage was rewarded when Dora Zeller impressively won out in a one-on-one and her cross was deflected into her own goal by Sophia Kleinherne – 3-2 (83'). In the final minute, Eintracht's Freigang had the chance to level from close range but she failed to connect properly with an attempted volley – Achim Feifel's team were able to celebrate after the final whistle.
"The team showed outstanding mentality today and turned the game around with an incredible fight. We were clearly the dominant side in the second half," said the head coach in praise of his players after the final whistle. Ann-Kathrin Vinken: "We were aggressive against the opposition from the start, came back stronger after half-time and were right on it. We deservedly equalised and then took the lead – we knew we could get something out of the game and we didn't want to settle for a draw but instead get the win."
This win sees Bayer 04 extend the lead in the table over Eintracht Frankfurt and they are now in fifth place on 29 points – level on points behind Turbine Potsdam who are away to SC Freiburg at the weekend. Following the international break, the Black and Reds return to action on Sunday, 18 April with an away game at Werder Bremen (kick-off: 14.00 CEST).
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Klink – Vinken, Kögel, Kerschowski, Wirtz (Wich 68'), Zeller, Turanyi, Tanaka (Rackow 89'), Csiszar (Bücher 85'), Marti, Nikolic
Eintracht Frankfurt: Frohms – Santos de Oliveira (Mauron 83'), Kleinherne, Prasnikar, Freigang, Kirchberger, Reuteler, Küver, Feiersinger (Nüsken 68'), Dunst, Pawollek
Goals: 1-0 Tanaka (7’), 1-1 Freigang (12’), 1-2 Pawollek (25’), 2-2 Tanaka (69’), 3-2 Kleinherne (83’ o.g.)
Booked: – / Prasnikar
Referee: Dr. Riem Hussein (Bad Harzburg)
A special award for special social commitment. At this year's ceremony for the Sepp Herberger Awards in Wolfsburg on Monday night, the DFB Sepp Herberger Foundation recognised Bayer 04 in the social rehabilitation category. The Bundesliga club received the prize, together with €12,000, for its great service to inmates, particularly in the Wuppertal-Ronsdorf prison.
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