Head coach Robert de Pauw, who will leave Leverkusen at the end of the season alongside captain Elisa Senß, is aware of the emotional significance of this game. “Every player has to know what it means to walk out in the derby against Köln with the Bayer Cross on their chest. It’s one of the most important games of the year,” said the Dutchman. “We need to go into the game with an especially big emotiveness and passion. I want to see that in the challenges.” The 1-0 win in the reverse fixture in Cologne will serve as a good lesson for that. “That gave us a lot of confidence. We want to see that feeling again,” stressed de Pauw, who added: “I also want to remain unbeaten in derbies during my time at Leverkusen.”
He doesn’t want his impending departure at the end of the season to be a factor in the remaining games. “It doesn’t change much for me. The motivation to get the most out of the season is still huge. We’re in fifth place and want to remain there at the very least. That was our goal before the season,” de Pauw stated. The belief in that objective remains big after the recent goalless draw away at Freiburg where the team lacked “finesse in the final third”. “I have great confidence in the team that we can do it. The best players will continue to play every week.”
De Pauw believes that Köln, who are ninth in the table with 14 points, will be confident after their 2-1 win over Werder Bremen at the larger RheinEnergieStadion, but also stressed: “They can still feel the pressure in the relegation battle below and will come here motivated. De Pauw and his team want to put up resistance against the opposition’s “very busy” attack with January signing Carlotta Wamser by using “Bayer 04 style”.
The women will then face Essen away from home on Sunday, 24 March (6.30pm) before the international break. “The league’s final straight begins after the break. We need to create a good position for ourselves in the games against Köln and in Essen. They will be two heated fixtures,” concluded de Pauw.
Tickets for the derby at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion are available to buy HERE in the online shop or on the gate on Monday.
Bayer 04 have fond memories of their encounters with Heidenheim, including a resounding 6-0 win in the reverse fixture. Kasper Hjulmand’s side would very much like to produce a similarly clinical display as they now head to the Voith-Arena for Matchday 27 on Saturday (15:30 CET). But they come up against a team fighting for their Bundesliga lives at the bottom of the table, 10 points adrift of safety with time running out. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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The Bayer 04 Women welcome FC Carl Zeiss Jena to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Sunday night in a white retro look - and in a unique Bayer 04 ‘50 Years of Fan Clubs’ special edition jersey. In sporting terms, head coach Roberto Pätzold's team will face the Bundesliga's bottom team at 18:30 CET looking to keep their chances of third place in the table alive with six games left to play.
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Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action this weekend. Following their elimination in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, the Werkself are away to FC Heidenheim 1846 on Saturday, 21 March (kick-off: 15:30 CET) on Bundesliga matchday 27. Ahead of the clash in the eastern Swabian Alps, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the importance of the fixture and the chances of qualifying for the Champions League next term.
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A quick look at the table shows the situation at FC Heidenheim is serious. The Bundesliga bottom club are already ten points behind the play-off spot with their backs to the wall in sporting terms. With eight games left to play, avoiding relegation appears to be a mission impossible. Nevertheless, they are far from flying the white flag at the Schlossberg ahead of the clash with the Werkself this Saturday, 21 March (kick-off: 15:30 CET). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without the two strikers in the immediate future. Caroline Kehrer suffered a torn ligament in her right knee and Amy Wrigge tore her cruciate ligament.
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