"The first match was a game that gave me great pleasure as a coach. It was end-to-end action. It was an evenly balanced match with high intensity, simply power football!" Striker Milena Nikolic levelled minutes after going behind before the Bosnia international turned the game round in favour of the Werkself Women at 2-1. Frankfurt levelled from the penalty spot in the last minute to claim a point.
The return match is on Friday night – and the Werkself Women currently have the upper hand. Eintracht on 18 points are two places and eight points behind the Black and Reds in seventh place although they have played two games less. So the cushion to the Eintracht Frankfurt Women ahead of the clash is big enough but it should be extended if possible. But Feifel is certain it will not be easy: "Frankfurt are absolutely a good Bundesliga team. They have the fourth best goal difference in the league – there's a difference of 12 goals between them and us and that says a lot. A strong opponent with lots of top international players. We will have to go to our absolute limits and beyond."
The Werkself Women can go into Friday night's game with confidence following three impressive performances in succession. However, Eintracht are also buoyant. A short, two-day quarantine last week due to a false positive coronavirus test for a player did not throw the team led by Niko Arnautis off course. Quite the contrary: In the DFB Cup quarter-finals last weekend, the team gained confidence with a 7-1 victory over second division SG 99 Andernach to secure a place in the last four.
"We have to approach the game as we did against Potsdam: with absolute conviction, assertiveness and be incredibly compact," said Feifel. "We have to close down space, give Frankfurt little room to manoeuvre, mount quick turnovers after winning possession and be clinical in front of goal." A very intense session on Wednesday was designed to work on those elements amongst others – Thursday brought a more relaxed final pre-match training session with Henrietta Csiszár again taking part.
The Hungarian returns to the squad after recovering from knee problems suffered in the Wolfsburg match. As does the recently suspended Milena Nikolic. Still sidelined are Sylwia Matysik and Viktoria Pinther (back problems). Verena Wieder is also ruled out – and the 20-year-old faces a longer period on the sidelines due to the need for an operation on her knee.
Friday night's home game is taking place under the motto #Morethanfootball. Football is more than just a game – as Bayer 04 have demonstrated this week as part of the #Morethanfootball Action Weeks together with 100 participants. Inclusion, participation and promoting social cohesion are just a small number of issues that are an intrinsic element of the Bayer 04 DNA.
Defender Nina Brüggemann is an ambassador for the #Morethanfootball Action Weeks and she explained: "Football is more than just a sport. It brings people together worldwide both on and off the pitch. The club Bayer 04 have sent out important messages on subjects such as equality, diversity and sustainability for many years. In the future, that has to be turned into social responsibility and developed further. We are #Morethanfootball.“
More information on the game, the two team squads, information on the matchday and an interview with Ann-Kathrin Vinken are available in the current Rasenreport magazine. HERE is the e-paper.
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
Show more
Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
Show more
A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
Show more
A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
Show more
At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
Show more
