“That was a great test against a top team with lots of technical class and athleticism who almost won the league in the Netherlands. The result is befitting the performance. We were very good in our pressing in particular,” said Pätzold. “We hardly allowed Eindhoven in our half in the first third, but it meant our attacking play suffered a bit. We were better going forward in the second third and had two big chances. We then struggled a bit in the last part but still had good mentality and energy.” Looking ahead to the start of the season, the coach added: “We’ve shown a lot of what we’ll need in the first league game – technical quality, maintaining possession but still applying pressure and having the confidence to create opportunities.”
As was the case in last week’s 3-0 win over Westerlo, Juliette Vidal and Amy Wrigge (both muscular issues), Estrella Merino Gonzalez (ill), Caroline Kehrer (meniscus) and Shen Menglu (cruciate ligament) all missed out. Selina Ostermeier (muscular), Loreen Bender (ill) and Cornelia Kramer (personal reasons) were also unavailable. Charlotte Voll and Anne Moll were the two goalkeepers out of the four to watch on this time. Pätzold also included youth players Emilia Eltgen, Jolina Heltemes, Angelie Martens, Alisa Sinani and Amelie Sosnik.
Neither side managed to create any telling chances at the start of the game. A number of fouls in midfield interrupted the flow of play. A free-kick proved one of the most promising opportunities, but Claudia Wenger headed Kristin Kögel’s delivery wide. The Austrian defender hurt her finger in the process and was later replaced by Sosnik with six minutes of the first 45 remaining.
Captain Friederike Repohl was called into action for the first time after the restart as she turned a Sisca Folkertsma effort over the bar. The Werkself goalkeeper was again alert to an attempt from a similar position by Lore Jacobs not long after. PSV had grown into the game by this point, but it was Leverkusen who came closest when Kögel struck the post from the left. Vanessa Fudalla had scored in each of the previous three friendlies and had a go from range without success. Ruby Grant’s free-kick failed to find the target before Carlotta Wamser saw a curling effort denied by the crossbar.
After a good second period, the Dutch visitors started to find their feet again in the third period of 25 minutes. Louize Haentjens was the next to be thwarted by the woodwork as it finished goalless at Kurtekotten.
Pätzold’s team head to Rieden in Bavaria for their seven-day training camp on Sunday morning. They will discover their opponents in the first round proper of the DFB Pokal on Tuesday evening following the play-off match between Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The Werkself have another challenging friendly during the camp as they take on Wolfsburg on Friday, 22 August (2pm CEST). The team return home the following day before another friendly against Standard Liege of Belgium at Kurtekotten the following Sunday (4pm). The new Google Pixel Bundesliga season kicks off the week after as Leverkusen take on champions Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the official opening match on Saturday, 6 September (5.45pm).
Match stats:
Bayer 04 (first 45 min.): Repohl - Wamser, Wenger (Sosnik 39'), Turanyi, Mickenhagen - Piljic, Zdebel - Bartz, Kögel - Mädl, Fudalla
Bayer 04 (second 45 min.): Repohl - Schwartze, Turanyi, Friedrich, Wamser (Mickenhagen 61') - Piljic (Zdebel 76'), Daedelow - Grant, Kögel (Bartz 76') - Haim, Fudalla
Bayer 04 (third 25 min.): Remien - Schwartze (Haim 114'), Sosnik, Friedrich, Mickenhagen - Zdebel, Daedelow (Heltemes 106') - Grant, Martens - Sinani, Bartz
PSV Eindhoven (starting XI): Evrard - Lacroix, Jacobs, Nijstad, Haentjens, Kemper-Moorrees, Frijns, Chibani, Janssen, Young, Touw
Goals: -
Yellow cards: Turanyi
Referee: Eva Kastenholz
Attendance: 85 at Kurtekotten
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