After the hard-fought 3-2 away win at SC Freiburg on matchday one in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga and the comfortable progress to the DFB Pokal Round of 16, Pätzold is full of anticipation for his first home game as the Leverkusen coach at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium: "We are looking forward to finally being able to show what we can do with the home atmosphere, in front of our fans and families," said the 45 year-old: "The pitch and the facilities in and around the UHS are outstanding and everything is set up for us to be able to play a good first home game."
The challenge facing the Werkself in this mission is big as the Eagles, whose additions in the summer include former Bayer 04 captain Elisa Senß, finished third in the table last season.
The Leverkusen coach, who expects to face a well-organised Frankfurt side, sees the game as "a first chance to see how far we can go this season" and he is looking to build on the style of play developed over the preseason: "We will try to put them under pressure, force them into making errors and play with the right mentality."
This could be a very special game for the Eintracht midfielder sense Senß. The Germany international returns to the first match at Leverkusen after two years at Bayer 04. Shortly before kick-off, Senß will be presented with the trophy as the winner of the vote for Bayer 04 Women's team Player of the Season 2023/24.
For the meeting with the team from Hessen, who missed out on qualifying for the group stage of the UEFA Women's Champions League last week after a 2-0 defeat against Sporting CF, and this week clocked up a 10-0 win against FFV Erfurt in the second round of the DFB Pokal, the Bayer 04 Women's team will again have to manage without Charlotte Voll, Melissa Friedrich (both training deficit), Paulina Bartz (illness), Sofie Zdebel and Loreen Bender (both at U20 World Cup).
Under the motto ‘Gemeinsam: Gutes Spiel’ (Together: Good game) Bayer 04 are sending out a message for sustainability as part of the DFB campaign matchday. In joint action, the clubs in the third tier and the Women's Bundesliga are standing up to their commitment to society, responsible management and the protection of the planet. All holders of tickets for the game at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium will be supporting a good cause on Sunday: Bayer 04 will donate two euros per ticket sold to the Leverkusen Women's Emergency Line, who will have an information stand at the stadium.
Tickets for the game can be bought HERE online or from the ticket office on the day of the match. This season, for the first time, there will be allocated seats, which are shown on the tickets. As usual, the match will be broadcast live by the streaming services MagentaSport and DAZN.
Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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One ticket, two matches – and a varied programme of events, including appearances by players from the professional teams: Bayer 04 has come up with something very special for the 2026 season launch on Saturday, 8 August. From morning right through to the evening, Werkself fans can use just one ticket to not only enjoy top-class football from the Bayer 04 teams live, but also to experience unforgettable moments with the whole family through a variety of hands-on activities around the BayArena and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The day will also end on a real high note: after both matches, Bayer 04 supporters will have the opportunity to interact directly with the players during joint activities and get to know them from a different angle.
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