Women thrash Standard Liège in final friendly

Only Sana Coskun, Caroline Kehrer, Emily Wallrabenstein (all knocks) and Amy Wrigge (cruciate ligament) were absent from the squad for the final pre-season match. It took the Werkself just eight minutes to open the scoring at the SL16 Football Campus in Liège, Sofie Zdebel teeing up Bender, who found the corner from the edge of the box. Three minutes later, the post Vanessa Fudalla the second goal. It soon arrived with the next move, though, as Kramer - who scored a hat-trick in the 7-0 win in the last friendly at Feyenoord - flicked Bender's corner into the net to make it 2-0 after 12 minutes. 

Kramer adds another

Kramer and Marlene Müller both went close to making it three before the end of the first quarter. After the first short break, the Bundesliga team continued to dominate and eventually got their reward in the 50th minute. In an almost carbon copy of the second goal, Kramer headed in from Bender's corner. The 3-0 scoreline at half-time was a fair reflection of the contest up to this point.

The first opening of the third quarter also came from a corner, as Selina Ostermeier's header was saved by the Standard goalkeeper. Moments later, Ruby Grant rose highest to score the third set-piece goal of the day for the Werkself. Pätzold's side didn't relent and Lobke Loonen was denied at close range five minutes later. At the other end, substitute Charlotte Voll, like Rafaela Borggräfe, had little to do in the Leverkusen goal.

goals keep coming

In the final quarter of the match, the team who finished fourth in the Belgian Super League last season did show more attacking intent, but the goals continued to come from Leverkusen. Goal number five was also the fourth from a set piece: this time Turanyi headed Natasha Kowalski's free kick into the net on 96 minutes. Just a minute later, Mädl pounced on a mistake by the Liège keeper and tapped in to make it 6-0. And the Austrian became the third brace scorer of the day three minutes later from another Kowalski assist.

COMING UP: START OF THE SEASON

The new Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga season starts for the Werkself with an away fixture at RB Leipzig on Sunday 23 August (16:00 CEST). The first home match follows exactly a week later on Sunday 30 August, with last season's runners-up VfL Wolfsburg the visitors to the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion.

Match stats:

Standard Lüttich starting line-up: Gautier - Humartus, Sleebe, Prez, Blave, Pauwels, Poluhovica, van Belle, Tchidjo, Snaps, Mejdoubi

Bayer 04, 1st half: Borggräfe - Müller, Wenger, Ostermeier, Simon - Zdebel, Wamser - Fudalla, Bender - Kramer, Sternad

Bayer 04, 2nd half: Voll - Merino Gonzalez (Grant 91'), Turanyi, Ostermeier (Friedrich 76'), Simon (Brandau 76') - Wamser (Misini 76'), Platner - Grant (Kowalski 76'), Tomasiak - Mädl, Loonen

Goals: 0-1 Bender (8'), 0-2 Kramer (12'), 0-3 Kramer (50'), 0-4 Turanyi (70'), 0-5 Turanyi (96'), 0-6 Mädl (97'), 0-7 Mädl (100')

Attendance: 175 at the SL16 Football Campus in Liège