Women lose 2-1 in home opener against Essen

The Bayer 04 Women suffered a narrow home defeat on Sunday afternoon. The Black and Reds were on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline against SGS Essen at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium.

Head coach Achim Feifel made two changes to the starting eleven from the 3-0 win at Jena: Dina Blagojević and Melissa Friedrich started in place of Lila Turányi (bench) and Lara Marti (muscular problems).

The match needed time to get going. Bayer 04 had their first scare after fifteen minutes: Maike Berentzen broke through down the left and put in a low cross to Carlotta Wamser but her shot went wide of Anna Klink’s goal (16’). This goalscoring opportunity for the visitors shook the Black and Reds and they came back into the game and were the more active team in the final third but often lacked precision.

It was different on 18 minutes:when Milena Nikolić beat two Essen players in the penalty area before passing to Dina Blagojevic and she hit a very fine shot into the top left corner to open scoring at 1-0. Bayer 04 took the lead into the half-time break.

Essen sub strikes

The Feifel team were hard pressed after the restart as SGS Essen pressed for the equaliser. Carlotta Wamser was again and again centre stage. The 17-year-old was outstanding at the start of the second half – her best chance came on 54 minutes but Klink was in the right spot. The Bayer 04 keeper was helpless a few minutes later: Jill Baijings crossed from the byline into the middle of the box to Vivien Endemann. The 20-year-old controlled the ball and hit it into the bottom right corner of the net to equalise on 64 minutes.

The goal provided a boost for the visitors. Essen were bold going forwards for the rest of the game and there were a number of good chances for the team under head coach Markus Högner. The Black and Reds accepted the challenge and defended with passion. But that was not enough to win a point in the end as SGS were clinical at the critical moment: From a corner, Beke Sterner rose highest and headed the ball into back of the net to make it 2-1 on 85 minutes.

“I would have preferred not to have scored a goal and my team had won. Unfortunately we weren’t able to take the three points,” declared Dina Blagojević after the game and added: “No we have to get back on track. We will analyse the game and then carry on next weekend.”

The Bayer 04 Women are back in action on Friday night (10 September). Captain Kristin Kögel and Co. play Turbine Potsdam. The match kicks off at 19.15 CEST.

Match stats:

Bayer 04: Klink – Wieder, Friedrich, Wirtz, Siems – Gräwe, Kögel (Zdebel 58’) – Zeller, Blagojevic (Arfaoui 69’), Pando (Turanyi 80’) – Nikolic.

SGS Essen: Winkler – L. Ostermeier, Räcke, S. Ostermeier, Klasen – Senß, Piljic (Laurier 59’), Berentzen (Baaß 59’), Baijings, Sterner (Touon 90’) – Wamser (Endemann 59’).

Goals: 1-0 Blagojevic (38’), 1-1 Endemann (63’), 1-2 Sterner (85’)

Referee: Anna-Lena Heidenreich (Sereetz)

Booked: Senß (88’)

Attendance: 243