Following on from Potsdam, the Bayer 04 Women face another top team at the weekend in VfL Wolfsburg. The Werkself Women can go into game in confident mood after last weekend’s win against Turbine and briefly being in fourth place. “Morale has obviously been good this week after the win,” said Feifel but he also sounded a warning: “Wolfsburg are a completely different proposition from Potsdam. We really have to take these opponents seriously...”
The Wolves won the league for the fourth time in succession last term with 62 out of a possible 66 points and without losing a single game. This season, the FC Bayern Women are also in the running for the title as they are top of the table ahead of Wolfsburg on 45 points. VfL are also competing to win the DFB Cup and the Champions League with the team beating the Norwegian club Lilleström SK Kvinner this week to progress to the quarter-finals.
Despite the opponents playing in the week, Feifel is expecting them to be dominant and have the majority of possession with his team having to defend well to stay in the match. It will be a completely different game from last week’s encounter with Potsdam. “But we will obviously take the positives into the game and that helps with self-belief. And we need that too! We can’t afford to be on the back foot and we have to be brave,” said the coach. The aim is to “get a good result” through competitive spirit, aggression and compact organisation.
In terms of personnel, Feifel has increasing options. Jessica Wich and Nina Brüggemann returned to full training this week. Still sidelined are Juliane Wirtz, struggling with a groin injury, and Viktoria Pinther with a back problem. There is also a question mark over Sylwia Matysik being fit in time for Sunday – “that would be a bitter blow. Sylwia with her ball-winning ability, which she showed against Potsdam, is incredibly important for us against opponents like that,” said the coach.
The 56-year-old announced a change in goal for Sunday. Anna Wellmann comes in for Anna Klink. “She has performed very well in training and will now get to play in one or two games,” Feifel explained, “she absolutely deserves it.”
The game for the Werkself Women will be broadcast live: The match is on MagentaTV at #dabeiTV on channel 18 or on MagentaSport. Bayer 04 will stream other Leverkusen Women’s games over the rest of the season on the club’s YouTube channel.
Two keepers, lots of questions: Werkself captain Lukas Hradecky and U19 goalkeeper Jesper Schlich visited the BarmeniaGothaer children’s press conference in partnership with the Bayer 04 Lions Club on Wednesday afternoon. The duo faced interesting and at times unusual questions from around 50 inquisitive young journalists in the press conference room at the BayArena.
Show more
A large number of sporting directors and officials from big clubs across Europe came to the BayArena on Tuesday for the second seminar in the UEFA Sporting Director Programme (SDP) in cooperation with the ECA.
Show more
Full-back Janou Levels will leave Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the end of the season. The 24-year-old has activated her release clause and she will join Bundesliga rivals VfL Wolfsburg. She has signed a three-year contract.
Show more
After returning from Hamburg and a day off on Easter Monday, the Werkself players were back on the training ground at the BayArena on Tuesday morning. Following the session, Amine Adli was very positive in a media interview about the remaining four matches including the forthcoming home game against FC Augsburg (Saturday, 26 April, 15:30 CEST): "We will give our all to end the season as well as we can!"
Show more
