The team led by head coach Achim Feifel have impressed against strong opponents in recent weeks. The 4-2 win against Turbine Potsdam provided a boost in confidence. And the Werkself Women stood up to the reigning champions of Germany VfL Wolfsburg last weekend and were on the verge of levelling at 1-1 but ended up losing 2-0.
The Black and Reds now face bottom club MSV Duisburg. The ‘Zebras’ are the only team in the league yet to win a game. With four draws from from 14 games, they are currently only three points behind eleventh-placed SC Sand, who they recently drew with in an intense encounter at the bottom end of the table. Feifel warned against underestimating the opponents: “The point gained against Sand shows MSV have not given up yet. The match will definitely not be a walk in the park. Duisburg will fight to the end, are very physical and have already shown they can score against top teams. At the end of the day, a tough opponent.”
On Sunday, the Bayer 04 coach is expecting “a completely different game than in Wolfsburg. MSV mainly stand out with their tough tackling and the mentality of the players. It will be a hard-fought game like the one earlier in the season.” Leverkusen won 2-0 in the previous meeting of the two teams. Another win against Duisburg could see the Werkself Women move back to being three points behind fourth-placed Turbine Potsdam – and draw away from direct rivals Freiburg and Frankfurt. “We only focus on the next opponents and obviously want to get a result to make the most of the season,” Feifel said.
After Jessica Wich and Nina Brüggemann returned to full training in recent weeks, Juliane Wirtz was back in trininbg this week after recovering from a groin injury. Bayer 04 will still have to manage without Viktoria Pinther (back problems) and the ball-winning Sylwia Matysik (back problems). That also applies to Henrietta Csiszár who has had problems with her knee since the Wolfsburg game.
The away game for the Werkself women at MSV Duisburg on Sunday is available as a livestream on the Bayer 04 YouTube channel. A lot of the other league games for the team coached by Achim Feifel this season will be broadcast over the coming weeks.
It's finally Champions League time again! Under the motto 'Sound of Dreams', the Werkself's European journey begins on Thursday 18 September (kick-off 18:45 CEST) at FC Copenhagen. The Danes relied on their experience and solid defence in particular to come through qualifying. Nevertheless, their record against German teams is not good, and Bayer 04 also have positive memories of their previous two encounters with FCK. The Matchday News rounds up all the info on the match.
Show moreThe opener in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26: On Thursday, 18 September (kick-off: 18:45 CEST), the Werkself will kick off the new UCL campaign at FC Copenhagen. Ahead of the clash, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about his return to Parken, the Danish record champions' home ground. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken, for his part, was looking forward to his first Champions League game.
Show moreBayer 04's new coach Kasper Hjulmand will kick off the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in his home country: The Danish double winners FC Copenhagen welcome the Werkself to the Parken Stadium on Thursday, 18 September (kick-off: 18:45 CEST/live on DAZN). Hjulmand not only knows the stadium, but also some of the FC Copenhagen players from his time as the Denmark coach. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show moreBayer 04 are away to FC Copenhagen on the first matchday of the league phase in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League. The game against the Danish record champions is on Thursday, 18 September (kick-off: 18:45 CEST) at the Parken Stadium. Ahead of the match, here are some travel tips from Bayer 04 partner weloveholidays for all travelling fans of the Werkself.
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