‘Competition is fierce’: Women kick off Bundesliga campaign in Leipzig

“After such a long period of preparation, we’re all keen to see how the team performs under competitive conditions,” said the coach, who is entering his third season at Bayer 04: “We’ve come away with a great many positive impressions.” No wonder – after all, the Leverkusen Women not only won 7-0 in their final two friendlies against Feyenoord and Standard Liège, but also secured five wins from a total of six friendlies. “Now it’s a matter of replicating that quality in the league,” said Pätzold: “We’re all looking forward to the season getting underway and knowing what we’re working towards during the week. At the end of the week, there’s the chance to be rewarded for it.”

great depth in the squad

The fierce competition for places in the matchday squad and the starting XI amongst the players is also a key factor behind the optimism ahead of the start of the season. “The competition is fierce; we’ve felt that once again this week,” said Pätzold, referring to being “spoilt for choice”. For the manager, this is exactly the right development: “This is the situation that exists day in, day out at the very top teams, and it’s what we wanted as a club. It gives us confidence not only for the upcoming matches, but also for the entire season.”

Thanks to the new signings, the manager believes his team – which finished fifth in the table last season with a record 46 points – will be more versatile going forward. “They bring a wide range of physical and footballing qualities to the table, including from set-pieces,” said the 45-year-old coach: “This allows us to respond appropriately to our opponents’ different styles of play and maintain a high standard of performance throughout the match. Especially when fatigue starts to set in after 50 or 60 minutes, we can be confident we’ll be able to bring on players of exceptional quality from the bench.”

The season kicks off with a tough challenge against Leipzig, who finished tenth last season (29 points). “I’m expecting a very intense match, because both teams will look to attack the opposition early on, put them under pressure and force them into mistakes,” said Pätzold. The match is likely to be characterised by plenty of challenges and a high tempo. “The decisive factor will be which team copes better with the opposition’s pressing and takes to the pitch with clarity and determination.”

New captain Simon "A REAL Leader"

Carolin Simon is the new captain. The five-time German champion signed from Bayern Munich will lead the team onto the pitch. Pätzold sees the 33-year-old a “real leader”. Alongside Simon, as in the previous season, Melissa Friedrich, Sofie Zdebel and Cornelia Kramer are members of the team committee; a new addition is Carlotta Wamser. Friederike Repohl wore the captain’s armband for the past two years; the goalkeeper brought her career to a close this summer.

Brandau carries over suspension

Five players will be unavailable in Leipzig. In addition to the long-term injury absentee Amy Wrigge (torn cruciate ligament), Pätzold will also be without Sana Coskun, Caroline Kehrer, Emily Wallrabenstein (all in rehab training) and Justine Brandau (suspension carried over from last season in the Netherlands) are all unavailable.

WERKSELFgo: The Bayer 04 car-share scheme

For Werkself, the new season is getting underway; for Bayer 04 supporters, it marks a new way of travelling to matches: with the free car-share portal WERKSELFgo, fans can now organise their journeys to Leverkusen matches easily and conveniently. Through WERKSELFgo, you can form car-sharing groups with other Bayer 04 supporters, find lifts and share travel costs. How does it all work? Simply register on the portal using your Bayer 04 account, search for a lift or post a journey yourself. The passengers themselves decide how much it should cost. More information is available HERE.

To WERKSELFgo!

Fans wanting to support the Werkself at Cottaweg in Leipzig can get tickets for Sunday’s season opener HERE.