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.
At the end of the winter training camp in Portugal, the Bayer 04 Women convincingly mastered their friendly ahead of the start of the second half of the season. In the match against Swiss league leaders Servette FCCF, coach Roberto Pätzold's team won 3-0 at the Monte Gordo Sports Complex. Carlotta Wamser (4’), Vanessa Fudalla (18’) and Loreen Bender (53’) scored for Bayer 04, who have been preparing for the Rückrunde in the Algarve since last Saturday.
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In the first episode of the new interview series "A New Chapter", Werkself defender Jarell Quansah reflects on his first few months under the Cross and speaks about his journey from England to Leverkusen. Having come through the ranks at Liverpool, a new chapter began for Quansah in the summer at Bayer 04 — with new objectives, fresh challenges and much ambition. In the video, the centre-back speaks about his development as a player and person, about the courage to leave your own comfort zone, and about what it means for him to be part of an international team in a different country. Honest, reflective and full of motivation — just like the start of his Werkself career.
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Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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