For the second time this season, Roberto Pätzold will not be in the dugout after picking up a fourth yellow card in the 2-0 defeat in Munich. As with the 3-0 victory over Turbine Potsdam in the Hinrunde, the coaching duo of Friederike Mehring and Remzi Kahraman will stand in for the head coach. "Our match plan and the approach to the game are clear and it's down to the players. Who coaches beforehand is of secondary importance and we've also had the same situation in friendlies and in one league match," said Pätzold: "Of course, I'm still annoyed about it particularly about missing out in the derby."
Playing against the team next to bottom, he is demanding three points from his players regardless of his error. "We started a winning run in the Hinrunde after the defeat against Bayern and perhaps we can do that again. Regardless of what is possible for us in the table there is always special motivation against the immediate neighbours," declared Pätzold.
Ahead of the matchday, the gap to Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg in positions two and three is five points – a difficult but not impossible margin to make up. "Finishing in the top three is not in our own hands but we want to play our part by winning our games," said the suspended coach: "We will give all we can until it is not mathematically possible."
Given that most of his eleven international players have returned after success in the international break should make this mission achievable. Loreen Bender, Kristin Kögel, Julia Mickenhagen, Selina Ostermeier, Katharina Piljic and Sofie Zdebel won a friendly tournament played over several months with the Germany U23 team in Spain, Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir scored a hat-trick for Iceland in the Nations League against Switzerland . "If you go into an international break on the back of a defeat then a different environment is always helpful," said Pätzold: "It was a good reset for several players and it also helps us that we don't play until Monday and have the squad together for a longer time." He confidently added: "We are very focused and firmly convinced we can come out on top."
Even though FC Köln have only won one of their 18 games this season, the Werkself meet the neighbours full of respect. "I don't think they will just sit back, they have again and again had active phases in recent matches," said Pätzold: "The positions in the table are not so crucial in the derby, Köln have a lot of individual quality in their squad and they are difficult to pin down if you forget about the results. They showed what the team is made of in a hard-fought match in the previous meeting." Nevertheless the maxim for him is: "At the same time they are susceptible due to the few wins and they tend to make mistakes. We want to be uncompromising in exploiting that and do our homework."
Caroline Kehrer (after suspension) and Janou Levels (after muscle problems) return to the squad with Lilla Turanyi (rehab training) and Vanessa Haim (muscle injury) plus Shen Menglu and Sofia Cava Marin (both with torn cruciates) all sidelined. Derby tickets are available in advance from the Bayer 04 online shop HERE as well as from the ticket office on the day of the match.
Werkself Live available here:
The Werkself conceded a late goal to suffer the third defeat of the season in Monday night's Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga fixture on matchday ten. Coach Roberto Pätzold's team lost 2-1 at SC Freiburg. Vanessa Fudalla (65’) scored the only goal for Bayer 04 who are now fifth in the table on 19 points.
Show more
Bayer 04 midfielder Ibrahim Maza was honoured in Paris in the Best Algerian Young Player category at the Fennec d'Or awards for the Algerian Footballer of the Year, organised for the first time by the football journal La Gazette du Fennec. "It's an honour for me," said the 19-year-old, delighted with the award.
Show more
On the back of two wins within four days, Bayer 04 Women round off an intensive Bundesliga week in the Black Forest. Roberto Pätzold's side have the chance to move back up to third place against SC Freiburg in the final fixture of Matchday 10 on Monday (18:00 CET) and draw level on points with second-placed VfL Wolfsburg.
Show more
The last international break of this calendar year features the final qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. An overview of who's playing where and when from a Leverkusen point of view.
Show more
