Despite the disappointment of losing 2-1, coach Roberto Pätzold has taken a lot of positives from his team’s display against Wolfsburg. “We saw we can absolutely be on a par with one of the league’s top teams. We were the dominant side at times and weren’t far off getting a point,” said the 47-year-old. “But we need to step things up in being clinical. We can be proud of the energy we played with the intensity we demanded of the opposition.”
Hoffenheim finished fourth last season but are yet to get off the mark after two games in 2026/27. However, Pätzold is expecting to face a similar level of quality. “They haven’t had a good start and will definitely feel uncertain in some areas, but we can’t be fooled by that. They’re still a top team that’s had chances to change the result in both games. We want to build pressure from the start and make sure the opposition feels our quality and power. Then we’ve got a good chance of leaving as winners,” the coach stated.
Even the departures of Carlotta Wamser to Manchester City and Ruby Grant to Sporting Lisbon have not altered the Werkself’s ambitions for the season. “Women’s football has now become so fast-paced too that a certain sense of normality has already returned this week. The change may unleash new energy in some members of the squad who stand to benefit from it. Given the short timeframe, we didn’t make any further moves in the transfer market because no option arose that we were all convinced of. In doing so, we’ve also sent a clear signal that we’re absolutely convinced of the quality of the squad,” Pätzold added.
The Werkself are set to have previously injured trio Loreen Bender, Caroline Kehrer and Emily Wallrabenstein available for the game at the Dietmar-Hopp-Stadion, but Melissa Friedrich (knock) and Amy Wrigge (cruciate ligament) are still out.
Bayer 04 will have to manage without attacking midfielder Martin Terrier for the time being. The Frenchman sustained a muscle injury to his left hamstring yesterday, Thursday 15 October, during the Europa League game against Polish champions Lech Poznan (4–0). Terrier is not expected to be available until late December.
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Following the international break, the Bayer 04 women’s team face their next head-to-head clash in the race for a top spot in the Bundesliga. In Saturday’s home match (14:00 CEST), the fourth-placed side host third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Head coach Roberto Pätzold is well aware of the great opportunity this presents for his team.
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Malik Tillman described Leverkusen’s first European competition game in Poland in more than three decades as a “successful trip”. On matchday 2 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League, the Werkself secured a commanding 4–0 victory away at champions Lech Poznan, a result that brought a number of positives. This fourth win in a row should also provide further momentum for the upcoming home fixture. The Werkself review of the Europa League night in Poland.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 4-0 win at Lech Poznan on Matchday 2 of the 2026/27 Europa League season...
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