
Coach Roberto Pätzold made three changes to his team from the 1-0 win over Turbine Potsdam in the DFB Pokal round of 16 two weeks ago, as Selina Ostermeier, the fit-again Loreen Bender and Caroline Kehrer came in for Emilie Bragstad, Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir and Delice Boboy. Prior to kick-off, Bender received her gold U19 Fritz Walter Medal from German FA sporting director Nia Künzer and U20 coach Kathrin Peter.
Wolfsburg had the first chance of the game when Marina Hegering put a header wide inside three minutes. The visitors controlled the play after that, but the Werkself allowed them nothing in front of goal. Most chances on the counter came through Kehrer, while the first effort came from Bender, but her shot lacked the power to trouble Merle Frohms. The early dominance of the She-Wolves faded as the first half wore on.
Kehrer than had a great double chance before the break to open the scoring. First she was denied by the crossbar after getting on the end of a Bender pass, before Frohms produced a good diving save to push the rebound wide as it remained goalless at the break.






The Werkself kept up that late momentum as they came out from the second half and struck just two minutes after the restart. Wolfsburg defender Kathy Hendrich misjudged a high ball into the box, with Kramer reacting quickest to slot past Frohms for her sixth goal of the season. The goal seemed to spark the game into life, with Friederike Repohl twice called into action to deny a long-range Hegering effort and a follow-up from Svenja Huth. Just after that, Janou Levels struck the post from left of centre.
Wolfsburg threw all they had for an equaliser, but it was the Werkself who had the next good chance. Kehrer tried to round Frohms but was held up. Kramer then came within inches of putting away a second from Kehrer’s ball into the area. Bayer 04 remained active instead of sitting back, looking to break at pace when possible. Boboy came on for Kramer to add fresh legs in the closing minutes as a passionate performance allowed the Werkself to see out the result and move top of the table, at least overnight.
The second half of the season begins next week as Pätzold’s side welcome Freiburg to the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion for the final game of the calendar year on Saturday, 14 December (2pm CET). That is followed by the winter break before the campaign resumes away at Eintracht Frankfurt in the first week of February. The date and time for that game is yet to be confirmed.
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Repohl - Merino Gonzalez, Ostermeier, Turanyi, Levels - Zdebel (Vidal 90'+1), Piljic - Bender (Vilhjalmsdottir 72'), Kögel - Kramer (Boboy 84'), Kehrer (Bragstad 90'+1)
Wolfsburg: Frohms - Hendrich (Dijkstra 64'), Minge, Hegering - Wilms, Huth, Lattwein, Linder - Endemann (Beerensteyn 57'), Popp, Jonsdottir (Blomqvist 81')
Goal: 1-0 Kramer (47')
Yellow cards: Piljic, Turanyi, Ostermeier
Referee: Karoline Wacker
Attendance: 1,510 at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion

Today brings the first match of the season for the Werkself. Bayer 04 kick off the 2026/27 campaign today, Saturday 22 August, at 13:00 CEST with a first-round DFB Pokal tie away to third-tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. The 3,700 travelling fans can not only look forward to what will hopefully be a successful start to the season, but also now organise their journeys to Black and Reds games even more easily via the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Meanwhile, following two defeats at the start of the league season, SV Wehen are hoping to spring a surprise in the DFB Pokal tie. Today’s matchday news.
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Carolin Simon is the new captain of the Bayer 04 women’s team. The full-back, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, will take over the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 season. Simon returned to Leverkusen in the summer after ten years away. The 33-year-old succeeds goalkeeper Friederike Repohl, who retired at the end of last season.
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Bayer 04 start the 2026/27 season away to third-division side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Ahead of the DFB Pokal tie on Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez spoke at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. The topics: anticipation, passion, the fans’ support – and the captaincy for the new season.
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SV Wehen Wiesbaden undoubtedly envisaged a different start to the new season. After two matchdays, the Hessen side currently sit bottom of the Liga 3 table. On Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), SVWW host the Werkself in the first round of the DFB Pokal at their home ground, the BRITA Arena. It was there, in this very competition a year ago, that the club almost pulled off a massive upset. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Farid Alfa-Ruprecht is going out on loan from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Bundesliga 2 side Hertha Berlin. The pacy winger will be at the Berlin club for one year.
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