Head coach Achim Feifel started the game against the league leaders with a back five. For the starting eleven against Bayern, he made three changes to the side that beat SV Meppen 3-0 on the previous matchday: Lara Marti, Melissa Friedrich and Dora Zeller were sidelined through injury; Kristin Kögel, Henrike Sahlmann and Sylwia Matysik returned to the first team.
The Bayer 04 Women more or less succeeded in keeping Bayern away from their penalty area in the first 15 minutes. The only shot came from Lea Schüller on three minutes. The hosts were dynamic going forwards, they pressed and tried win the ball at every opportunity. However, the defensive plan against the league leaders mostly succeeded – until a setback on 29 minutes: Sydney Lohmann passed to Klara Bühl who hit a shot from the left side of the penalty area into the top right corner to make it 1-0. That was soon followed by two other chances for Bayern (36' and 40') with one hitting the bar and the other going wide of Anna Klink's goal. The Leverkusen Women had their first and best chance immediately before half-time through Ivana Rudelic: Kristin Kögel won a challenge in midfield, passed to the Croat but her effort on 42 minutes went just over the target.
"We set out to play on the front foot in the game against Bayern. Unfortunately we didn't quite manage that. We didn't take the chances that fell to us, were too hasty and nervous and let the opposition win too many balls," explained Feifel. His comment at half-time: "Carry on defending well, don't let in any more goals and be brave going forwards."
The FCB Women started the second half full of attacking intent. Just one minute had been played and goalkeeper Klink had to be on her toes for a clear double chance for Bayern: A shot from Lineth Beerensteyn the bar and the Werkself number one brilliantly saved a second shot (46’). Over the course of the rest the second 45, which mostly took place in and around the Leverkusen penalty area, Klink pulled off some excellent saves to prevent an even clearer defeat (51', 54', 61' and 63').
Bayer 04 coach Feifel was not disappointed in spite of the narrow defeat: "We produced a decent performance against a strong opponent after a long break. We put in the running and played with great passion." The Black and Reds drop down one place to seventh.
Coming up:
The Werkself Women are back in action in the FLYERALARM Women's Bundesliga on Sunday 13 December with a home game against SC Sand at Kurtekotten. The match kicks off at 14.00 CET.
Match stats:
FC Bayern: Benkarth – Ilestedt, Hegering, Wenninger, Glas – Zadrazil, Magull, Bühl, Lohmann, Beerensteyn (Laudehr 88') – Schüller (Dallmann 72')
Bayer 04: Klink – Kerschowski, Brüggemann, Wirtz, Turanyi, Sahlmann (Vinken 46') – Rudelic, Matysik (Zeller 89'), Kögel, Wieder (Csiszar 71') – Nikolic (Rackow 81')
Goals: 0-1 Bühl (30’)
Booked Matysik, Brüggemann
Referee: Dr. Riem Hussein (Bad Harzburg)
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