The match was the first test after the initial two weeks of training for the Werkself Women following the winter break. The Leverkusen Women’s team were unable to really deal with the opposition in the first half. The team also initially failed in build-up play and the first 45 minutes were marked by Bayer 04 often losing possession. That enabled Werder Bremen to take the lead through Reena Wichmann on 25 minutes. Dora Zeller levelled before half-time with an impressive volley on 42 minutes.
Feifel rang the changes for the start of the second half with Lilla Turanyi being the only player to go the full distance. The second eleven were more successful: greater control of the game, constructive build-up play, compact in defence and more confident on the ball. Kristin Kögel turned the game round with the goal to make it 2-1 on 48 minutes. Bremen – with few chances in the second 45 minutes – did succeed in levelling the scores through Agata Tarczynska (61’) but Kögel hit back five minutes later with the winner.
Achim Feifel: “The first half was very disjointed and I was happier with the second 45. It’s still not how we as we imagined before the start of the season. But it was a good friendly overall.”
First half line-up: Klink – Matysik, Machtens, Rackow, Zeller, Reger, Brüggemann, Turanyi, Csiszar, Garofalo, Marti
Second half: Wellmann – Sahlmann, Kempe, Finken, Kögel, Wirtz, Bücher, Zdebel, Turanyi, Nikolic, Wieder
The friendly came at the end of an intensive week of training in place of the cancelled training camp on Gran Canaria. “They were good and strenuous days of training. We had lots of tough sessions and the intensity this week was equivalent to a training camp,” said Feifel. The focus was on fitness work. The players faced sessions that tested their stamina.
Fun was also on the agenda this week: Team building activities for the Werkself Women – with team meetings taking account of coronavirus restrictions – in groups of five or six taking each other on in quizzes and other games. For example, that meant maintaining certain yoga positions longer or gargled songs being recognised quicker by teammates.
The next friendly is on Sunday 31 January: Second division team Borussia Bocholt from the northern section of Bundesliga 2 are the visitors to Kurtekotten (14.00 CET). The last time the two clubs met was in the pre-season in 2019 – the match ended in 6-0 win for Bayer 04 against the then Regional League side.
“I’m happy we’ve got another friendly ahead of the league restart (on 7 February, 14.00 CET at TSG Hoffenheim, ed.). That will give us another competitive situation where we can try out a few things. This week we will work on technique and tactics and then we can put that into practice,” said Feifel looking forward.
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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