Women lose 4-0 to double winners Wolfsburg

The Bayer 04 Women were on the wrong end of a 4-0 scoreline against VfL Wolfsburg on matchday four in the FLYERALARM Women’s Bundesliga at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre. Based on the second half performance, head coach Achim Feifel believes his players are ready for the forthcoming double fixture week.

The 56-year-old did have to witness the hosts going behind early on: On four minutes, left-back Lara Marti brought down Wolfsburg’s Pia-Sophie Wolter in the penalty area. Lena Goeßling picked the left side of the target and converted the spot-kick to give the Wolves the lead. And the next goal attempt from VfL was also successful: Felicitas Rauch put Pauline Bremer through from the left and she put her shot from six yards out past Anna Klink to make it 2-0 (15’). The Werkself Women had their first attempt on goal two minutes later; Dora Zeller was kept out by VfL keeper Katarzyna Kiedrzynek. With 24 minutes on the clock, Wolfsburg’s Svenja Huth headed just over the bar.

Shortly after that, Feifel called his players to the dug-out during an injury break to give them new tactical instructions. “Wolfsburg structured their game from the start differently than we expected. We therefore adjusted our system and it worked out better,” explained Feifel. The Bayer 04 Women then pressed further up the pitch to deny the visitors time to build-up from the back and they were back in the game. Melissa Friedrich and Co. did not concede again and went into half-time two goals down.

Treble change after the break

Feifel decided to make three changes at the start of the second 45: Henrike Sahlmann, Viktoria Pinther and Ivana Rudelic replaced Lara Marti, Kristin Kögel and Milena Nikolic. But the hosts conceded another early goal – Rauch scored direct from a corner on the right (53’). There was a similar scene eleven minutes later: Once again, a Rauch corner flew towards the far post. This time the ball hit the inside of the post, Wolter turned the rebound into the back of the net to put Wolfsburg 4-0 up. The visitors rotated their players with VfL coach Stephan Lerch making the fifth and final substitution on 75 minutes.

The result appeared certain with the four-goal deficit late on but the Bayer 04 Women refused to give up and produced a suitably battling performance. “Above all, we defended well in the second half. On top of that, the goals from corners wouldn’t have been scored under normal wind conditions,” said Feifel, who said his team, in the absence of three “mentally enormously important players” in Sylwia Matysik, Jessica Wich and Nina Brüggemann, produced a good performance. “The team is significantly more solid that last year.”

Double fixture week

The team led by coach Feifel are back in action on Thursday, 7 October, away to Eintracht Frankfurt. The kick-off at the Stadion am Brentanobad is at 18.00 CEST. “We want to build on today’s second half there,” added Feifel. Werder Bremen visit Leverkusen four days later (kick-off: 14.00 CEST).

Match stats:

Bayer 04: Klink – Kerschowski (Vinken 85’), Turanyi, Friedrich, Marti (Sahlmann 46’) – Wirtz – Zeller, Kögel (Pinther 46’), Csiszar, Jessen (Rackow 85’) – Nikolic (Rudelic 61’)

VfL Wolfsburg: Kiedrzynek – Hendrich, Janssen (Blässe 61’), Goeßling, Wedemeyer (Dickenmann 61’) – Popp, Engen – Wolter (Saevik 69’), Huth (Oberdorf 75’), Rauch – Bremer (van de Sanden 69’)

Goals: 0-1 Goeßling (4’ pen.), 0-2 Bremer (15’), 0-3 Rauch (53’), 0-4 Wolter (64’)

Booked: Kögel / –

Referee: Mirka Derlin (Bad Schwartau)