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:
There won’t just be plenty of excitement on the pitch as Bayer 04 host Borussia Dortmund at the BayArena at 18:30 CET on Saturday. Outside the stadium there will be collection points for food donations to the Leverkusen Foodbank, which will also benefit from the profits of a jersey raffle in the Fanwelt afterwards. There will also be a minute’s silence before kick-off following the passing of long-time Werkself player Dieter Herzog, before two fan clubs are honoured for their decades-long support at half-time and fans receive a talk about Orange Day, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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Bayer 04 go into the first of two successive clashes with Borussia Dortmund boosted by their Champions League win at Manchester City. Ahead of the Bundesliga top match on Saturday, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET), coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the tight schedule, BVB's strengths and returning squad members.
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Borussia Dortmund are doing very well in terms of points and results in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. BVB have only suffered two defeats to date this term. Now coach Niko Kovac's team are away to the Werkself on Saturday night, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET) in the top match on Bundesliga matchday 12. The two teams meet again three days later in the DFB Pokal Round of 16 tie in Dortmund. Two very competitive encounters are on the cards. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The Bayer 04 Women clcoked up a 3-2 win in a friendly against Twente Enschede on Thursday afternoon in the last international break of 2025. In drizzle, Lilla Turanyi (16’), Kristin Kögel (65’) and Paulina Bartz (69’) scored the goals for the Werkself against the Dutch Eredivisie Vrouwen leaders, who are still unbeaten in the league.
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