"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.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-2 draw at Mainz 05 on the 34th matchday of the Bundesliga 2024/25...
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Bayer 04’s final game of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season saw VAR drama and produced a new record for away results with a 2-2 draw in Mainz. The hosts had several goals ruled out before Paul Nebel put them ahead. Patrik Schick’s brace then turned things around in the second half before Jonathan Burkardt’s penalty levelled the game again. It means Leverkusen have now gone 34 away games without defeat in the Bundesliga, which no team has ever done before.
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The Werkself bring down the curtain on their 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign with a game away at Mainz on Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CEST). Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Matchday 34 meeting at the MEWA Arena.
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