“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.”
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.”
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.
Matchday Werkself Live:
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career working as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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Bayer 04 host top French club Marseille at the BayArena on matchday four in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League group stage. The match kicks off on Thursday 5 November at 21:00 CET. The latest information on ticket sales.
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The BAYER 04 HILFT Day is celebrating an anniversary: for the tenth year running, a large number of employees of the Bundesliga club have been getting involved in a community project in Leverkusen and the surrounding area. Following the refurbishment of the city library last year, this time around some 70 staff members rolled up their sleeves to help out at the Bunker Youth Centre in Leverkusen-Wiesdorf. With the support of the Lebenshilfe workshops in Leverkusen and partner Coca-Cola, a rubber football pitch was laid, a Bayer 04-style lounge was created and other projects were carried out. Werkself players and coaching staff also gave their all.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen and sponsors club partner NRG24 are continuing their partnership, which has been in place since the summer of 2023. The Bundesliga football club and the energy consultancy firm have extended their successful partnership until 30 June 2027.
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