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.
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show moreTo all Bayer 04 fans: The Fanwelt will be closed all day next Monday 30 June. This is due to preparations for the change of kit supplier from Castore to New Balance on Tuesday 1 July.
Show moreThe Norway U23 international Julie Jorde has completed the move from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Brøndby IF. The twelve-time champions of Denmark have signed the midfielder on permanent terms after her loan move from the Bundesliga to Denmark in the winter.
Show moreIt is almost two years since Bayer 04 new signing Abdoulaye Faye first stepped foot into the BayArena as a player for the Swedish club BK Häcken in the opening match in the 2023/24 Europa League campaign. A day before his nineteenth birthday, the central defender did not play in the 4-0 win for the Werkself but it was "an incredible night" for him on 21 September 2023 as he explained in his first interview on bayer04.de. "I watched the players and saw the fans. I liked it." It was also the first European night early on in his career. He only joined the then champions of Sweden in the cold north of Europe from his home in Senegal a few weeks before that special moment. Bayer04.de profiles our new defender.
Show moreWelcome, Abdoulaye Faye. The 20-year-old Senegalese central defender joins Leverkusen from top-flight Swedish club BK Häcken. In his first interview he talks about his move to Bayer 04 and his targets with the Werkself.
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