Bayer 04 Women reach 40 points with comfortable home win over Freiburg

Pätzold made one change to the starting line-up from the 3-1 win at Hamburger SV at the end of March. Ruby Grant made way for Kristin Kögel, who also took on the captaincy. With a number of players absent because of injury, Sana Coskun and Jana Lindner from the U23s were included in the squad. 

two early goals

The hosts promptly took the lead with the first chance of the game. After Freiburg failed to properly clear a corner, Katharina Piljic curled the ball into the right corner from 17 metres (4') - the midfielder's fourth goal of the season. Bayer 04 continued with the same efficiency. In the ninth minute, Vanessa Fudalla got away down the left and crossed the ball low into the middle, where Merino Gonzalez, fresh from extending her contract until 2028, was in the right place to slot in the second goal (9'). With the two-goal lead, the Werkself had the game under complete control, leaving the visitors just chasing. Freiburg goalkeeper Rebecca Adamczyk reacted quickly to stop the third shot on goal from Cornelia Kramer.

Pätzold's side continued to dominate, aside from a half-chance for Luca Birkholz. The third goal resulted from a foul on Carlotta Wamser by Adamczyk in the area, with Kramer netting the penalty to notch her first goal of the campaign (38'). The Freiburg custodian prevented the scoreline from getting worse for her team before half-time, saving Kramer's corner header from a Fudalla corner as well as a long-distance effort from Kögel, keeping it a deserved three-goal lead for Leverkusen at the break.

Wamser stretches lead

Substitute Meret Felde had the first chance for Freiburg in the second half, but it was no problem for ex-SCF goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe. Soon after that, the Werkself struck for a fourth time. Kramer and Wamser were again involved, with the German international finishing from the Danish international's cross to make it 4-0 (57'). Pätzold made a double substitution after that, with Grant and Vanessa Haim coming on for Loreen Bender and Fudalla (61').

As things quietened down on the pitch in light of the clear scoreline, the Leverkusen coach took the opportunity to make further changes. Ida Daedelow and Julia Mickenhagen replaced goalscorers Piljic and Kramer in the 73rd minute. Although Alena Bienz scored a consolation goal near the end (85'), the hosts saw out a comfortable victory.

up next: trip to Essen

The Werkself travel to SGS Essen next weekend. The Matchday 24 encounter takes place on Sunday 3 May (14:00 CEST) at the Stadion an der Hafenstraße.

Match stats:

Bayer 04: Borggräfe - Merino Gonzalez, Wenger, Ostermeier, Wamser - Piljic (Daedelow 73'), Zdebel - Bender (Grant 61'), Kögel (Coskun 89') - Fudalla (Haim 61'), Kramer (Mickenhagen 73')

SC Freiburg: Adamczyk - Stegemann (Schick 70'), Axtmann (Sigurdardottir 46'), Stierli, Karl - Schneider (Felde 46'), Ojukwu - Kolb (Bienz 70'), Vobian, Egli (Fölmli 57') - Birkholz

Goals: 1-0 Piljic (4'), 2-0 Merino Gonzalez (9'), 3-0 Kramer (38' penalty), 4-0 Wamser (57'), 4-1 Bienz (85')

Yellow cards: Bender / Schneider, Axtmann, Stegemann

Referee: Nadine Westerhoff (Bochum)

Attendance: 719 at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion