Roberto Pätzold made seven changes to his team from the 5-1 defeat against Wolfsburg. Anne Moll made her starting debut for Werkself in goal, replacing Charlotte Voll, who was suspended for two games after receiving a red card, with Friederike Repohl also out with a muscular thigh injury. Moll had already come on as a substitute in the third minute after Voll was sent off against Wolfsburg, making her first Bundesliga appearance in more than two years. Melissa Friedrich, who took over the captain's armband from Repohl for the match, Julia Mickenhagen, Sofie Zdebel, Paulina Bartz and Mädl also came into the revamped starting line-up in place of Lilla Turanyi (suspended), Carlotta Wamser (injured), Ida Daedelow, Ruby Grant and Kristin Kögel.
Leverkusen started brightly and, in contrast to the previous matchday, got off to a dream start. Mädl failed to make a connection with her heel following a cross from Fudalla, but Jena defender Steffi Schmid, who was standing directly behind Mädl, attempted to clear the ball from close range and ended up putting it into her own net inside six minutes. The visitors then settled around the opposition’s penalty area, creating a number of dangerous situations. At the other end, Moll had little to do in the early stages. Bayer 04 duly added to their lead when a cross from Mickenhagen on the left was nodded in by Kehrer at the back post to make it 2-0 – her first goal of the season.
Pätzold's team were far from satisfied and pressed on for more goals. Zdebel missed the best chance to make it 3-0 when, from a promising position in the box, she placed the ball too centrally, allowing Jena goalkeeper Jasmin Janning to make an easy save. Two minutes later, the keeper missed the ball at a corner, but Bartz, not expecting the ball, failed to convert at the near post. Instead, Jena pulled one back out of nowhere. Katharina Piljic played a misplaced pass into the path of Emily Reske, who left Moll no chance with her first-time finish.
There were no personnel changes going into the second half, and the Werkself promptly restored their two-goal lead. After a long ball from Estrella Merino Gonzalez, Mädl won the footrace against Toma Ihlenburg and put the ball past Janning. Six minutes later, Fudalla sealed the deal. Following a misplaced pass by Janning in the build-up, Kehrer poked the ball to the side. Ihlenburg's attempted clearance landed at the feet of the former Leipzig player, who slotted into the empty net to make it 4-1 for her sixth goal of the Bundesliga season. Shortly afterwards, Pätzold made a triple substitution. Loreen Bender, Vanessa Haim and Kögel came on for Bartz and the goalscorers Kehrer and Fudalla.
Jena attempted sporadic counter-attacks, with substitute Josephine Bonsu hitting the outside of the post on one occasion. At the other end, substitute Bender missed from close range, squandering a huge chance to make it 5-1. Shortly afterwards, Grant replaced Piljic in midfield. With the game’s score offering Jena little hope for a comeback, not much else happened on the pitch during this phase. In the closing stages, Amy Wrigge came on for Mädl, making her Bundesliga debut at the age of 17. Shortly before the start of stoppage time, substitute Noemi Gentile reduced the deficit to 4-2 for the hosts. Nevertheless, Wrigge and her teammates were able to celebrate a well-deserved away win.
Bayer 04 will continue their campaign on Wednesday with a home match against newly promoted Hamburg at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion (19:00 CET). The Werkself will then face Freiburg at the Dreisamstadion on Monday, 10 November (18:00 CET) for Matchday 10.
Match stats:
Carl Zeiss Jena: Janning - Sträßer, Ihlenburg, Heuschkel (Mühlemann 56'), Schmid, Juckel - Andersson, Gora (Julevic 56'), Reske (Häring 56') - Tietz (Gentile 67'), Jaron
Bayer 04: Moll - Merino Gonzalez, Ostermeier, Friedrich, Mickenhagen - Zdebel, Piljic (Grant 71') - Bartz (Bender 63'), Fudalla (Kögel 63') - Mädl (Wrigge 81'), Kehrer (Haim 63')
Goals: 0-1 Schmid (6', og), 0-2 Kehrer (19'), 1-2 Reske (41'), 1-3 Mädl (52'), 1-4 Fudalla (58'), 2-4 Gentile (90')
Yellow cards: Andersson, Schmid - Zdebel
Referee: Angelika Söder
A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
Show more
Bayer 04 came from 2-0 down to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal on Wednesday night. Edmond Tapsoba’s double either side of half-time sparked the turnaround, before Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Lucas Vázquez ensured progress to the last 16 for the 2024 cup winners.
Show more
The Werkself have reached at least the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal in each of the last three years. The Black-and-Reds would like to make it to the final four of the competition again this season, but to do that they'll need to overcome 1. FC Nürnberg in round two, who travel to the BayArena with momentum following a successful league campaign so far. However, Bayer have a 100 percent record at home in all competitions this season - and have also won six of their last seven home matches in the Pokal. The Matchday News.
Show more
Back at home in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal, Bayer 04 host FC Nürnberg at the BayArena. The match against the current second-placed side in Bundesliga 2 is on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45 CET. Ahead of the game, head coach Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about his anticipation of the clash in front of a home crowd. The Spaniard also commented on a number of personnel matters, including Ibrahim Maza and Montrell Culbreath, plus the visitors’ coach, Miroslav Klose.
Show more
Now in their third season under head coach Miroslav Klose, FC Nürnberg are among the promotion contenders in Bundesliga 2. On Wednesday 28 October (kick-off: 20:45 CET), the team currently second in the table are away to Bayer 04 in the second round of the DFB Pokal. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show more
