While Leverkusen were able to take a relaxed approach to the game, but still with one eye on securing fifth place ahead of Frankfurt, SC Sand needed a result to avoid relegation. But it was the team in red and black who pressed forward in search of the opening goal. After a foul on Henrietta Csiszár, making her last appearance in a Bayer 04 shirt, on two minutes, Kristin Kögel fired in a free kick from 20 metres out – the Sand keeper Jasmin Pal went the right way and was able to make the save. The next chance for Bayer 04 came five minutes later: Milena Nikolić whipped in a cross to Dóra Zeller in the six-yard box but her shot was blocked. The ball rebounded to Kempe, also playing her final game for the Werkself, but her effort went wide of the left upright.
The Werkself Women gave the hosts little room, closed them down and dominated the midfield. SC Sand had their first goalscoring opportunity on 15 minutes through Patrycia Balcerzak but the half chance did not trouble Anna Wellmann who was playing in goal in place of the number one keeper Anna Klink. The challenges became tougher over the course of the match and the opponents grew into the game. Bayer 04 found it increasingly difficult to make headway. Sand broke through on 29 minutes with a cross from Summer Green but Melissa Friedrich was able to deny her opponent’s chance. At the other end, the Sand keeper Pal prevented Mina Tanaka putting the visitors in front.
With 37 minutes on the clock, the referee failed to award a penalty when Balcerzak challenged Zeller in the box. Instead the Hungary international was booked moments later for a foul on Noemi Gentile – with the ensuing Sand free kick hitting the bar. The Werkself were less fortunate a minute later when Dörthe Hoppius beat Friedrich in an aerial duel to put the hosts 1-0 up.
Both teams endeavoured to get on the front foot after the restart. Leverkusen had the first clear-cut chance of the second half when Tanaka chipped the ball towards the opposition net from a corner but Pal was able to make a finger-tap save. Bayer 04 again had the upper hand but the final ball to the strike partners Tanaka and Nikolić often went astray. The substitutes Chiara Bücher and Zeller had chances to level on the break but again the passing lacked accuracy. Shortly after that, substitute Lara Marti shot from distance but her effort just missed the target.
Other chances went begging in the closing stages: From a dead ball, Zeller found Tanaka at the near post but her shot went wide (75’). Sand attacks lacked penetration and the Bayer 04 defence or the keeper Anna Wellmann were able to clear. Pauline Machtens plus Juliane Wirtz and Henrike Sahlmann were also given time on the pitch with Achim Feifel giving the former a final appearance for the Black and Reds.
The closing stages were intense with both Bayer 04 and SC Sand looking to score. Tanaka was in the thick of the action on 89 minutes but she had her shirt pulled in the box but there was no penalty awarded when she went down. The Werkself Women went into the summer break on the back of a 1-0 defeat and SC Sand celebrated staying up. The champions on the final matchday are FC Bayern Munich on 61 points.
The Bayer 04 Women will remain in Baden-Württemberg until Monday with the end of season celebrations and farewell to departing players on Sunday night. The international players will then be on the road with their national teams with the rest of the squad training in Leverkusen until Thursday, 10 June, before heading into a summer break. The team restart training at home from 5 July before full training commences on 19 July.
Match stats:
SC Sand: Pal – Moorrees, Green (Sakar 73’), Jordan, Loos, Georgieva, Hoppius (Plasmann 46’), Brandenburg ( Blagojevic 73’), Gentile (Browne 78’), Evels (Kreil 63’), Balcerzak
Bayer 04: Wellmann – Kempe (Bücher 57’), Matysik (Sahlmann 69’), Turanyi, Friedrich – Csiszár (Marti 57’), Kögel, Wieder (Wirtz 69’), Zeller – Nikolić, Tanaka
Goals: 1-0 Hoppius (40’)
Booked: Hoppius / Turányi, Zeller, Csiszár
Referee: Fabienne Michel (Gau-Odernheim)
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