Women start 2025 with 1-0 win against Anderlecht

The Werkself beat Anderlecht 3-2 in two friendlies both in last January as well as in August. The coach played two different line-ups in the two halves. Players missing from the Bundesliga squad were Loreen Bender (following tonsillectomy), Anne Moll (minor injury), Synne Skinnes Hansen  (rehab training), Vanessa Haim (rehab after back problems) and Paulina Bartz (gradual return to full training). Paula Schwartze from the U20 (starting XI) Kirkellis Lillemets, who will mainly play for the U20 team in the future, Amelie Moll, Nadia Cava Marin (both U20s), Sana Coskun (U17) plus English guest player Ruby Grant were in the squad.

Vidal goes off injured

In temperatures close to freezing point, the hosts had the upper hand in the opening stages of the game. Leverkusen put pressure on the opposition net from the start – and had the first effort on goal with a long-range effort from Shen Menglu (6’). The Pätzold team, playing in an all-white kit, mostly kept the visitors contained in their own half. The Werkself had to make the first substitution on 15 minutes. Juliette Vidal, who came from Anderlecht in the summer, suffered an injury to her nose in a challenge and was replaced in defensive midfield by Katharina Piljic.

The game settled down in the middle of the first half. Andreas gave little away in defence and the Werkself also posed little threat to the Belgian side either. Substitute Piljic went close with a shot from a tight angle (29'). The next opportunity fell to Janou Levels but her effort from a central position on the edge of the box lacked accuracy (35'). Little else happened for either side up to half-time.

Pätzold made ten changes at half-time with striker Delice Boboy the only one left on the pitch from the initial line-up. The biggest chance of netting the opener in the game up to that point was missed by Julia Mickenhagen. The full-back hit the side netting with a volley from a long cross by Estrella Merino Gonzalez. Kristin Kögel also went close just after that. From an accurate through ball from Lillemets, she was denied by the Anderlecht keeper Aude Waldbillig.

The Belgians had their chance just after the hour mark. First, the keeper Charlotte Voll pulled off an impressive save to keep out Laurie Teinturier and then Marie Minnaert just missed from a central position. The Bayer 04 Women then played a number of long balls up front albeit lacking the necessary precision. The guest player Grant (on for Piljic) and youth player Coskun (for Boboy) came on for the last 20 minutes.

Kramer scored the long-awaited opener with 15 minutes play. The Danish Werkself striker took advantage of a half-hearted clearance to hit the ball into the left corner of the net with a slight deflection (75’). Instead of sitting back on the narrow lead, the Leverkusen women pressed for the second goal. The defence in front of Voll remained alert to ensure that the game ended with a 1-0 scoreline.

Training camp in spain from sunday

The Bayer 04 Women will set off for the training camp in Oliva on the Spanish Mediterranean coast on Sunday morning, 12 January. Before returning a week later, they will play friendlies against Villarreal (Tuesday, 14 January, 12.00 CET) and second division Union Berlin (Saturday, 18 January, 14.00 CET, 3 x 40 minutes). In the Bundesliga there is the match a week before the normal restart. On Sunday, 26 January (12.00 CET) there is the rearranged game from Matchday 1 away to SC Freiburg. That is followed by another away game at Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 13 on Friday, 31 January (18.30 CET). The full winter timetable is HERE.

Match stats:

Bayer 04: Repohl (Voll 46') - Schwartze (Merino Gonzalez 46'), Ostermeier (Bragstad 46'), Friedrich (Turanyi 46'), Levels (Mickenhagen 46') - Zdebel (Daedelow 46'), Vidal (Piljic 21’/Grant 70’) - Vilhjalmsdottir (Kramer 46'), Menglu (Kögel 46') - Boboy (Coskun 70’), Kehrer (Lillemets 46'/Nadia Cava Marin 82’)

Starting XI RSC Anderlecht: Waldbillig - Ijzerman, de Neve, De Caigny, Deloose, Koeleman, Vatafu, Minnaert, Wijnants, Matavkova, Teinturier

Goals: 1-0 Kramer (75’)

Referee: Daniela Nohl (Hennef)

Attendance: 60 at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre