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.
Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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