"It was hard work and an intense and stretched game, which was more attractive for the crowd than it was for the coaches, but there was excitement until the end," said Pätzold afterwards. "After a good start, Freiburg made it very difficult for us. We showed spirit and structured our play better as the game went on. We changed things around a bit at half-time but still couldn't settle into controlled build-up play. We had a few opportunities on the counter to make it 3-1 and were then almost robbed of our reward by the second penalty. It was a great battle of attrition, but the bottom line is that we deserved to win."
The new coach picked exactly the same 11 players who started the final pre-season friendly against Fortuna Sittard. In front of new captain Friederike Repohl, who made her 50th Bundesliga appearance for the Werkself, there was a back four of Synne Skinnes Hansen, Selina Ostermeier, Lilla Turanyi and Janou Levels. The midfield consisted of Katharina Piljic, Juliette Vidal, Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir and Kristin Kögel, while Caroline Kehrer and Cornelia Kramer started up front. The starting line-up included four of the six summer signings.
Both teams began energetically. After a first sight of goal for the hosts, Kehrer registered the first attempt on target on her Bundesliga debut, but Rafaela Borggräfe saved (4'). In a physical opening phase, Bayer 04 Women gradually began to gain ground.
Freiburg took the lead through a penalty on the quarter-hour mark, after Turanyi upended SC captain Lisa Karl in the box. Repohl saved well from the first spot-kick but referee Theresa Hug ordered a retake as the goalkeeper had stepped off her line too early. Schasching converted the second attempt. The Breisgau side settled down after that and Repohl had to fend off a first-time finish from Shekiera Martinez.
Leverkusen then endeavoured to control the game more but SC resisted with pressing. A wonder goal from Levels gave the visitors, dressed all in white, the equaliser. After a low cross from Kehrer, Vilhjalmsdottir teed up the ball precisely on the edge of the box, where the Dutch full-back curled it into the corner with her right foot (37'). Shortly before the break, Bayer 04 completed the turnaround. After a corner from Levels, Vilhjalmsdottir first failed to hit the ball perfectly, but Ostermeier followed up with an ice-cold strike into the left corner to take the lead at the break (45').
The visitors carried their strong finish to the first half into the start of the second. Kramer's shot was too central after being played through by Kehrer, who then headed the subsequent corner over the bar. Chances dried up after that as Bayer 04 managed the game. In the 64th minute, Freiburg made a triple sub to liven up their attack.
Pätzold also turned to his bench with 15 minutes left, introducing another new signing in Vanessa Haim in place of Vilhjalmsdottir. Julie Jorde (for Piljic) and Estrella Merino Gonzalez (for Kehrer) made their first appearances of the season shortly after. The visitors continued to determinedly defend their lead and barely gave SC a sniff of goal.
But with 10 minutes on the clock, Hug again pointed to the spot after a push on Samantha Steuerwald by Skinnes Hansen. Substitute Campbell made no mistake and levelled the score (81'). The third penalty of the day followed five minutes - this time for the Werkself. Kögel was fouled in the box and stepped up herself. She fired the first attempt over the bar but again it was retaken due to infringement in the area from Freiburg players. The midfielder did better at the second time of asking and netted the winning goal.
The Leverkusen girls return to action on Sunday 8 September (12:00 CEST) with the DFB Pokal second-round clash against regional league outfit Karlsruher SC at the Arthur-Beier-Stadion am Wildpark. One week later, it's the first Bundesliga home match of the season against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion (Sunday 15 September, 14:00 CEST).
Match statsL
SC Freiburg: Borggräfe - Karl, Stegemann, Stierli, Steuerwald - Karich, Vobian, Gudorf (Campbell 64') - Schasching, Martinez (Scherer 64'), Blumenberg (Egli 57')
Bayer 04: Repohl - Skinnes Hansen, Ostermeier, Turanyi, Levels - Piljic (Jorde 78'), Vidal - Vilhjalmsdottir (Haim 75'), Kögel (Bragstad 90'+6) - Kehrer (Merino Gonzalez 78'), Kramer (Shen 90'+6)
Goals: 1-0 Schasching (15' pen), 1-1 Levels (37'), 1-2 Ostermeier (45'), 2-2 Campbell (81' pen), 2-3 Kögel (88' pen)
Yellow cards: - Bade, Vidal, Pätzold, Ostermeier, Jorde
Referee: Theresa Hug (Schramberg)
Crowd: 1,702 at the Dreisamstadion
With seven points, Mainz 05 are currently joint seventh, level on points with sixth-placed Bayer 04. In today’s head-to-head clash (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself must be particularly wary of the clinical Mainz strike duo. For Leverkusen fans who have left it to the last minute, there are still a few tickets available from the matchday ticket office. Those following the Black and Reds from home, on the other hand, have a choice: RTL is broadcasting the match on free-to-air TV, and Werkself Radio is also offering the expert commentary of former Bayer 04 player Falko Götz. Today’s matchday news.
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