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:
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
Show more
Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
Show more
A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
Show more
A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
Show more
At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
Show more
