While the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga was on a break last weekend, eight players were in action at international level. Maja Sternad (Poland), Paulina Tomasiak (Poland) and Claudia Wenger (Austria) qualifiied for the second round of World Cup play-offs. Meanwhile, for Lumbardha Misini and Kosovo, the dream of taking part in the 2027 tournament in Brazil was dashed by two defeats against Wenger’s Austrian side. “Progressing in the play-offs and securing a chance to qualify for the World Cup is a fantastic achievement. We’re delighted for our three players who’ve managed to do that,” said Pätzold: “Our international players have returned to us in varying states of fitness. Even amongst those who stayed in Leverkusen, there was the odd absence due to illness.” This does not alter the level of ambition: “For us, the priority now is to build on the performances and results we delivered before the break.”
The comeback in the 3-2 victory against Bremen – which, after a poor first half, finally secured the Werkself their long-awaited first home win at the third attempt – continues to have a positive impact. “What we can take away from this, regardless of how the match unfolds and any setbacks we face, is we are always capable of raising our game and coming from behind in a match,” said the head coach, who also cautioned: “The aim must be to maintain our level of performance for the full 90 minutes.”
If they manage that against Eintracht Frankfurt, their chances of securing another home win will increase significantly. The team from Hessen suffered their first defeat of the season in their 1-0 loss to champions Bayern Munich, but after six matches they have one point more to their name than the Black and Reds. “I’m reluctant to reduce a season to individual matches. It will come down more to consistency throughout the entire season,” said Pätzold: “But the fact is we have a great opportunity to overtake Frankfurt and thereby reinforce our ambition.”
How are they supposed to achieve that against coach Niko Arnautis’s team? “Their strengths lie primarily in attack; they are capable of creating chances out of nowhere against any opponent and are very quick in transition. They no longer press high all the time, but also have periods where they sit back in almost every match,” declared Pätzold, adding: “Every match has also shown that Frankfurt are vulnerable at the back.” From this, he set out a clear task for his team: “We want to exploit the dangerous areas with great intensity and passion, forcing the opposition into mistakes near their own goal and then capitalising on them.”
Pätzold can once again call on the services of forward Valentina Mädl for this match, who is back after her muscle injury sustained in the 3–1 friendly against second-tier side Borussia Mönchengladbach. Sana Coskun (muscle-tendon injury), Melissa Friedrich (rehab training) and Amy Wrigge (torn cruciate ligament) all remain sidelined.
Tickets for the home match are available HERE in advance online or from the matchday ticket office from 12:30 CEST. In the run-up to the match, Bayer 04 are organising various initiatives as part of International Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October to raise awareness of breast cancer and women’s health. The focus will be on the importance of prevention and early detection. Further details will be available in the matchday news section on bayer04.de
Werkself Live matchday magazine:
Bayer 04 make their first trip to Poland for over 30 years as they face Lech Poznan on Matchday 2 of the league phase in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. The game kicks off at 18:45 CEST on Thursday, but the team will be preparing for the action on Wednesday with training, travel and pre-match press conferences. We’ll bring you all the latest news here…
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Bayer 04 remain unbeaten in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. After winning the opener against NK Celje, the Werkself followed that up on Thursday night with a 4–0 win away at the Polish champions Lech Poznan. Patrik Schick, who came on as a substitute early in the game, scored twice from the penalty spot, and Malik Tillman also found the back of the net before half-time. The second half was a more subdued affair, with Ibrahim Maza scoring late on to seal the final 4-0 scoreline.
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Since 2023, Bayer 04 has been organising regular free goalkeeping coach training sessions at the BayArena. As in previous years, the event attracted enormous interest in mid-October 2026. Around 140 participants – mostly goalkeeping coaches from the region, but also team and academy coaches as well as association staff – came to the Werkself stadium to gain expert knowledge on the subject of zonal marking. Through a theoretical keynote presentation and a practical session on the pitch, the participants gained insights into goalkeeping and goalkeeper training at Bayer 04.
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A first for the Werkself: Today, Thursday 15 October (kick-off: 18:45 CEST), Bayer 04 face Lech Poznan for the first time on matchday 2 in the UEFA Europa League group. Although the Black and Reds have a flawless record against the only Polish opposition faced before, they must not underestimate the attacking ability and goal-scoring threat of the reigning champions from Poznan. Lech’s squad also includes two former Bundesliga players. Today's matchday news.
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