Women remain fifth after goalless draw in Essen

The Bayer 04 Women go into a three-week league break with a goalless draw. The team led by coach Robert de Pauw secured a point in a hard-fought game away to SGS Essen thereby maintaining a two-point lead over the hosts in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga. The Leverkusen Women are fifth in the table after 17 games on 25 points.

De Pauw had to make one change to his starting line-up due to injury after the convincing 2-0 derby win against FC Köln. Estrella Merino Gonzalez replaced Verena Wieder (groin problem) up front. His team started well. Captain Elisa Senß had the first effort on the goal minded by the SGS keeper Sophia Winkler on two minutes. That was initially followed by both teams sounding each other out in midfield without taking any risks. A dangerous Essen attack saw the derby goalscorer Lilla Turányi turn a shot in the penalty area away for a corner.

restrained start to the game

At the other end, a free kick from Kristin Kögel found the head of Sylwia Matysik but her effort hit the side netting (14'). Apart from that, the action was mainly between the two penalty areas with both teams lacking the necessary precision in the final third. Goal threats mostly came from individual moves. As with the strike to make it 2-0 against FC Köln, Kögel hit a shot from the edge of the box but this time she missed the target by a metre (26'). SGS grew stronger after the half-hour mark and posed a threat from set pieces but the visitors had more shots (5 to 1). Neither side was able to break the deadlock by half-time.

De Pauw made two changes at half-time. Caroline Siems and Loreen Bender replaced Janou Levels and Synne Skinnes Hansen. The first chance in the second 45 fell to the visitors with the involuntary aid of SGS. A cross from Kögel was almost turned into her own net by central defender Laura Pucks (51’). The coach made two more changes with 30 minutes to play. Julie Jorde and Nikola Karczewska came on for the booked Sofie Zdebel and Merino Gonzalez.

The Bayer 04 Women upped the pressure. Following a corner, Kögel hit a second cross into the penalty area with Turányi rising highest. However, her header was blocked on the line (61'). Kögel just missed the target with a shot in the six-yard box three minutes later (64'). And the midfielder then had the best chance of the game up to that point. After a misunderstanding in the SGS defence she hit a shot towards the empty goal but the ball went two metres wide (70').

Bayer 04 continued to set the pace with Essen hardly able to counter. The only danger to the Leverkusen goal came from set pieces. With no late goals the match ended all square at 0-0.

ahead of international break after Essen

The next game for the Bayer 04 Women is on Saturday, 13 April. The Black and Reds entertain Eintracht Frankfurt at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium with the kick-off at 14.00 CEST. Tickets for the match are available online HERE . The two semi-final ties in the DFB-Pokal are before that with a lot of players involved in the international break at the start of April.

Match stats

SGS Essen: Winkler - Sterner, Meißner, Ostermeier, Pucks - Kowalski (Enderle 80'), Piljić, Pfluger - Elmazi (Potsi 56’), Maier, Purtscheller (Joester 80’)

Bayer 04: Repohl - Matysik, Bragstad, Turányi - Skinnes Hansen (Bender 46’), Senß, Zdebel (Jorde 59’), Levels (Siems 46’) - Vilhjálmsdóttir, Kögel (Bartz 89’) - Merino Gonzalez (Karczewska 59’).

Goals: None

Yellow cards: Piljić, Sterner - Zdebel, Jorde, Turányi

Referee: Miriam Schwermer (Ballenstedt)

Attendance: 1,702 at the Hafenstraße Stadium