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.
Edmond Tapsoba has signed an early extension to his contract with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. With two years left on his current deal, the 27-year-old Burkina Faso international has extended his contract until 30 June 2031. The centre-back joined as a young talent from Portuguese top-flight club Vitoria Guimaraes at the start of 2020.
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A special surprise: during the preview for the 'Fierté Burkinabè' documentary about Edmond Tapsoba, Bayer 04 directors Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes announced Tapsoba's contract extension until 2031 together with the centre-back. He then spoke to Werkself-TV about his time in Leverkusen so far and future ambitions...
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This evening was deeply moving: At a really special setting, Bayer 04 exclusively presented the specially produced documentary ‘Fierté Burkinabè’ ("Burkinabe Pride") about Edmond Tapsoba on Tuesday. For the preview at the BayArena, the parents of the Werkself player and other close companions travelled all the way from his African homeland Burkina Faso. The 45-minute film shows Tapsoba's extraordinary career from his beginnings in Ouagadougou to Leverkusen as well as the work of his foundation "Fondation Edmond Tapsoba", with representatives from Burkina Faso also present. Fans can watch the documentary free of charge on Werkself TV and YouTube from Wednesday night at 20:00 CEST.
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Bayer 04 have signed left-back Carolin Simon from champions Bayern Munich for the coming season. The 33-year-old former Germany international, who played for Leverkusen from 2013 to 2016, has signed a contract to 30 June 2028.
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Bayer 04 Women have strengthened for the coming season with the signing of Lobke Loone. The 23-year-old Dutch striker joins from Utrecht on a contract until 30 June 2028.
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