Leverkusen beat SC Sand 2-1 in the previous match in the first half of the season. The hope is for the same number of points on Sunday in the game against SC Freiburg. SCF are in sixth place and one point behind the Werkself with a total of 15 points and they have won five of the last ten games. They have only lost two games – one of them against Bayer 04. In the first half of the season, the team from Baden lost 2-1 with two late goals from the Werkself Women on 87 and 90 minutes.
Despite the win on the first matchday of the season Leverkusen’s head coach Achim Feifel has sounded a warning about the potential of the team from the Breisgau: “Freiburg are a good Bundesliga team. From the few goals conceded in the first half of the season it is clear they are very solid at the back and disciplined. They have a clear plan and good shape. They also have a lot of players in their ranks who are very quick in transitions when they win possession.”
The Bayer 04 coach is expecting his team to be aggressive in the first game of the second half of the season. “We have to be compact to win the game and deny Freiburg any space in the middle of the park. We have to defend aggressively and put the opposition under pressure. And play quick counter-attacks as that’s what we’re good at and it can also be a weak point for the opposition. We have to exploit that.”
A win against Freiburg also means going into the winter break with a positive feeling and being able to fully recharge our batteries for the remaining games in the New Year. “I think we’ll all get a good rest. The break due to coronavirus and all the games have placed a heavy burden on the team. I hope they have a good time with their families and come back fit and well so we can have a good build-up to the second half of the season,” said Feifel.
Pauline Wimmer (torn cruciate) and Jessica Wich (broken ankle) are unavailable on Sunday. Barbara Reger is also ruled out with a knee injury. Striker Milena Nikolic has missed training due to back pain. It remains to be seen if she can play against SC Freiburg.
‘Give our all once again’ is the title of the latest edition of the Rasenreport. The matchday programme for the home game against Freiburg is available online free of charge. In addition to information on the game, the current edition also includes Lara Marti choosing between two answers in the Black and Red format. Click HERE for the Rasenreport.
The Black and Reds travel to Gran Canaria in the second half of January for a training camp where Feifel will be working hard on ironing out any weak points in the team. “We will also focus on team building activities and bind the team even closer together. On top of that, we want to produce targets for the second half of the season and step up our game in terms of tactics and fitness,” the head coach explained.
The next match for the Werkself Women in 2021 is on 7 February (kick-off: 14.00 CET). Bayer 04 are away to TSG Hoffenheim on matchday 19, which has been brought forward. That is followed by matchday 13 on 14 February with a game against MSV Duisburg.
More information on the Bayer 04 Women is available in the ELFEN magazine. The fourth edition of the women’s football magazine is out on 17 December. Subjects covered include Anna Klink and her new role as part of the Bayer 04 eSports team and the Bayer 04 Women being the surprise team in the FLYERALARM Women’s Bundesliga.
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month.
Show more
Kasper Hjulmand has led the Werkself back to winning ways and is back in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League with Bayer 04 after the 3-0 win against Villarreal on Wednesday evening. In an interview with the Werkself magazine at the BayArena in the team meeting room, directly opposite the dressing room, he provided some special insights for the current issue, which was published in January. A conversation with the 53-year-old coach about values, attitudes and personal experiences as well as interests outside of football.
Show more
The thrilling 3-1 win for Bayer 04 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Hinrunde is a fond memory for Alejandro Grimaldo, with his brace from free kicks, and coach Kasper Hjulmand, who was in the dugout under the Cross for the first time. Now comes the return fixture in the metropolis on the River Main and after going out of the DFB Pokal and the Champions League, the full focus at Eintracht, currently managed by two interim coaches, is now on the Bundesliga. For their part, the Werkself will do everything in their power to continue the longest winning run against a Bundesliga club. The matchday news.
Show more
Bayer 04 have ended Artem Stepanov’s loan deal at Nürnberg and agreed a new loan to Utrecht in the Netherlands. The Ukrainian striker did not play as much as hoped for at the Bundesliga 2 club and will now continue his development in the Eredivisie for the rest of 2025/26.
Show more
The draw for the knockout play-offs of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League was made on Friday, 30 January and saw Bayer 04 paired with Olympiacos. It’s a reunion with the Greek side following the Werkself’s 2-0 loss in Athens on Matchday 7 of the league phase.
Show more
