No Pokal aftereffects: Women eye first home win against Bremen

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“We came close twice, but ended up empty-handed,” said Pätzold, referring to the defeats in the first two home matches against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg (1-2), and the champions of Germany, Bayern Munich (2-3): “Bremen are also a tricky side to play against. But we’ve already shown in Freiburg (2-1, ed.) that we can cope with the pressure.” Consequently, hopes are high for the team’s first points in front of a home crowd: “We’re very optimistic, not least because Carolin Simon is back in the squad, which eases the pressure a little.”

Pokal win after extra time: "no sign of tiredness"

The DFB Pokal victory, secured after extra time, against second-division leaders FC Viktoria Berlin (2–0) is still fresh in the team’s minds, but it is not expected to play too big a part in preparations for the final match before the international break. “We’ve done everything we can to ensure we recover as well as possible and recharge our batteries. It works in our favour that we were able to settle the match relatively early in extra time and therefore didn’t have to maintain a high tempo right until the end,” said the coach: “There was no sign of fatigue on the training ground. We’ve been training with great intensity and with full focus, and we’re looking forward to Friday with optimism, hoping to finally win our first home match this term.”

The six changes in total for the DFB Pokal starting line-up benefited a number of players who had previously seen less playing time. “Everyone who started earned it,” said Pätzold: “You could tell that, with so many changes, there was naturally a lack of coordination in one or two situations. Overall, though, we’re satisfied: everyone played their part in ensuring the opposition were worn down by the end.” The fact his team only secured their place in the next round – and with it a Round of 16 tie against FC Bayern – after 120 minutes is no great cause for concern in his view. “We remained patient and, as favourites under pressure against a tactically very well-organised side, didn’t let ourselves get rattled,” said the coach: “It speaks volumes for the quality of our squad that we can make so many changes and still come out on top in the end.”

On Friday, they face Werder Bremen, a currently fourth in the Bundesliga table with one point more than the Werkself (nine). “They’re a very compact side and are disciplined when defending. They don’t need many chances to score and are particularly dangerous from set-pieces, especially with headers,” said the 47-year-old: “They simply have a very good mentality when it comes to getting results. Following a major overhaul, Bremen have brought in many good new signings who suit their physical style of play. For us, it’s about holding our own and maintaining a high tempo to create space.”

Kramer back in squad

Cornelia Kramer, unavailable in Berlin for personal reasons, returns to the squad, Valentina Mädl is still playing catch-up with her training following her muscle injury, Sana Coskun, Melissa Friedrich (both carrying knocks) and Amy Wrigge (torn cruciate ligament) are all sidelined. Tickets for the match at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium are available HERE or on the day of the match at the ticket office.

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