“We have the opportunity to make sure of finishing fifth through our own efforts and end the season with a win – that has to be our target in the last game of the season and that’s how we need to play,” demanded head coach Achim Feifel. Over the past two weeks, the 56-year-old has prepared his team for the last match against an opponent who will “be brutally physical and try everything to stay on the Bundesliga,” with competitive training and an internal friendly – he declared, “there will be no dawdling” before the summer break.
SC Sand will definitely be highly motivated with a victory at SV Meppen on the previous matchday setting them on course for the final game. The three points saw the team coached by Alexander Fischinger moving out of the drop zone and now staying up is their own hands. “They will give everything they’ve got,” Feifel is certain, “the coach has had an effect in recent weeks.” Fischinger took over the helm at the end of April in place of Nora Häuple, who was relieved of her role as coach at the relegation-threatened club.
For a number of players, such as Henrietta Csiszár, Pauline Machtens, Viktoria Pinther, Frederike Kempe and Selina Garofalo, it will be their last game in a Bayer 04 shirt on Sunday. “If it’s possible, I will try and play all the players who are leaving us,” said Feifel, but he does want to send the players who have had less time on the pitch due to injury “into the summer break feeling good. However, the impressions from training and performances will decide the team I send out onto the pitch and one that I believe can win the game. That is what the other teams who are still have something to play for will expect from us.”
There will be no more appearances in black and red for Isabel Kerschowski who leaves the Werkself for Potsdam in the new season. The 33-year-old has played in all this season’s matches to date – an ankle injury picked up in the game against FC Bayern two weeks ago keeps her out of the season finale at SC Sand. Ann-Kathrin Vinken also suffered an injury against the league leaders. Following the diagnosis of a torn syndesmosis ligament, she underwent a successful operation in the middle of the week. In addition to long-term injured players, Nina Brüggemann is ruled out with back problems.
Bayer 04 will broadcast the final Bundesliga match of the current season on the club’s YouTube channel. HERE is the link to the stream.
The Bayer 04 women’s team secured a win in the friendly during the international break. Without a total of eight international players, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team defeated Bundesliga 2 side Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1 at the Kurtekotten Training Centre, thanks to goals from Lobke Loonen (1’, penalty), Caroline Kehrer (41') and Valentina Mädl (66').
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without striker Christian Kofane in the coming weeks. The 20-year-old sustained a muscle injury to his left thigh on international duty with the Cameroon national team during the recent international break. This will prevent him from playing in the upcoming Werkself matches.
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FSV Mainz 05 went into the international break on the back of an away win at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Currently sixth in the table, the Rheinhessen side – who have been impressive on the road – now aim to continue their good start to the Bundesliga campaign at home when they face the Werkself on Saturday, 10 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). In terms of squad selection, Urs Fischer once again has more options at his disposal. Up front, the Mainz coach is likely to continue relying on what is currently the league’s most successful strike partnership. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fans ask, Carolin Simon answers: As part of Bayer 04’s second Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit, the Leverkusen captain took questions from the community. The full-back, who returned to the club this summer after ten years away, set aside an hour and a half for the Q&A session with fans, offering a very personal insight into, amongst other things, her daily life as a footballer and her role as captain, as well as her passion for Pokémon.
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