Bayer 04 Women: Convincing win against Sittard in final friendly

"We wanted to go into the week before the opening fixture with a positive experience. We succeeded in that because we created lots of chances, with several converted well, and we also stuck to our task in the final stages," said Pätzold: "Even if we were tested less than in the weeks before, it's important that we didn't give much away at all. That gives us a good feeling for the league. We noticed they we were able to maintain our tempo throughout the game and also posed a threat from set pieces. That is a valuable point for the many tight games in the league."

After last weekend's 4-0 win at Standard Liège, the coach gave a number of players 90 minutes on the pitch in the final friendly ahead of the first competitive match in season. He made five changes to the starting line-up compared with the game against Standard Liège: Selina Ostermeier, Synne Skinnes Hansen, Katharina Piljic, Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir and Cornelia Kramer came into the team with Emilie Bragstad, Sofia Cava Marin and Delice Boboy starting on the bench. Sofie Zdebel and Loreen Bender, also in the starting XI in Liège, are currently away with the Germanu U20 squad in preperation for the World Cup in Colombia  (31 August to 22 September).

Levels scores from a corner

The action in the opening stages was mainly in midfield. The first threat on goal came after 15 minutes when Levels just failed to connect with a cross into the box. The Black and Reds then took control of the game. An unusual set piece gave the Leverkusen Women's league: Levels, who scored from a similar angle in Liège, curled a corner from the right with her left foot over the opposition keeper and into the back of the net – a wonder goal to make it 1-0 (24’).

Then it was 2-0 two corners later: This time, Kramer from the left found the head of the unmarked Vidal who nodded it in to double lead (28'). The provider Kramer just failed to score the third goal with a header just before half-time. But that was soon rectified: Seven minutes after the restart, Kehrer scored after Kristin Kögel squared a cross from Vilhjalmsdottir. The hosts pushed their opponents more and more back into their own half. Piljic missed a chance to make it 4-0 with a long-range effort (48’). The first half of the game ended with a deserved 3-0 lead.

The second 60 minutes began in the same vein. The Bayer 04 Women dominated the match, Sittard focused on their defence duties and initially gave little away. After a quadruple substitution by Pätzold, the first clear chance on goal was down to substitute Shen Menglu down the left. The low cross from the Chinese player was hit wide of the target by Kehrer (83.). The final move of the third phase saw Levels her second goal. The Dutch winger curled the ball into the bottom right corner from ten metres out (90').

Pätzold brought on six substitutes for the fourth and final part of the friendly – including central defender Melissa Friedrich for the first time after a six-month injury layoff. The Werkself continued to press forward. Nine minutes after coming on, Boboy missed out in a one-on-one with the opposition keeper. Not much happened at either end after that with the host lacking the cutting edge in the final third. The score remained 4-0.

Bundesliga Start in FREIBURG

After seven friendlies since the start of the preseason in the middle of July, the Bayer 04 Women kick-off the new Bundesliga season away to SC Freiburg next Saturday, 31 August (kick-off: 14.00 CEST, live on MagentaSport and DAZN). That is followed a week later by the second round tie in the DFB Pokal away to Regional League side Karlsruher FC. Final fixture details are to be announced.

Match stats:

Bayer 04: Repohl (Moll 91') - Skinnes Hansen (Cava Marin 91'), Ostermeier (Bragstad 61’), Turanyi (Friedrich 91'/Ostermeier 113’), Levels (Mickenhagen 91’) - Piljic (Jorde 80’), Vidal (Daedelow 91’) - Vilhjalmsdottir (Haim 80’), Kögel (Shen 80’) - Kehrer (Boboy 91’), Kramer (Merino Gonzalez 80’)

Fortuna Sittard starting XI: Dinkla - van Koot, Stoop, van Wershoven, Kopp - van Heeswijk, Pietersma - Eijken, Silva, Dekker - Prins

Goals: 1-0 Levels (24’), 2-0 Vidal (28’), 3-0 Kehrer (37’), 4-0 Levels (90’)

Referee: Laura Duske (Cologne)

Attendance: 70 at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre