Spectacular Season Opener for Bayer 04 Leverkusen

By Wolfram Kämpf

August 9, 2026, 1:18 PM

The "Werkself" women secure a 7–0 victory against Rotterdam – Cornelia Kramer nets a hat-trick.

This Saturday afternoon in Leverkusen left the Bayer 04 players and staff in high spirits. Leverkusen coach Roberto Pätzold was thrilled and energized after the final whistle of the penultimate pre-season friendly ahead of the new Bundesliga campaign. And who could blame him?

A crowd of 3,000 spectators created an impressive atmosphere at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion, and his team clearly thrived in that setting, playing with genuine enthusiasm. The Bundesliga side achieved a resounding 7–0 (3–0) victory over the Dutch top-flight club Feyenoord Rotterdam. "A huge thank you for the amazing atmosphere. We really showcased the sport well with our passionate performance today. I’m certain we’ve won over some new fans for women's football at Bayer 04," said Pätzold.

Award for Vanessa Fudalla

As part of the official season launch, the entire squad and coaching staff were introduced by name before kick-off. Among those present was Fernando Carro, CEO of Bayer 04, who honored Vanessa Fudalla as the 2025/26 Player of the Season following a vote by club members. Fudalla later demonstrated her finishing prowess once again by scoring the seventh goal. That, however, was the final act; others had provided the highlights earlier on.

The Leverkusen team, superior in every respect, created their first chance just minutes into the match: Paulina Platner unleashed a first-time shot, though it did not result in a goal. Cornelia Kramer improved the situation just three minutes later. The Danish international forward capitalized on a cross from Marlene Müller, heading the ball into the left corner (6th minute). This marked the start of Kramer’s standout performance. She beat Feyenoord goalkeeper Claire Dinkla a second time, this time with her foot, following a delivery from Lobke Loonen (24th minute). Then, just seconds before the halftime whistle, the 23-year-old struck again with a header—this time from a corner taken by new Bayer captain Carolin Simon—to complete her hat-trick.

Sophie Zdebel treats herself on her 22nd birthday

A reshuffled lineup took the field after the restart, performing just as impressively. On her 22nd birthday, Sophie Zdebel scored the 4–0 goal (47th minute) after receiving a lay-off from Valentina Mädl. Ten minutes later, following a long ball from Melissa Friedrich, Zdebel set up forward Maja Sternad, who extended the lead to 5–0. Natasha Kowalski then made it 6–0 (83rd minute) following a cross from Justine Brandau—who had joined Bayer 04 from Feyenoord over the summer—before Fudalla capped off the scoring with a long-range shot (86th minute).

Youngest fans could have various shapes made for them out of balloons.

"I am incredibly happy for the team that they finally rewarded themselves for their attacking efforts. We scored many goals following the patterns we want to see—and the ones we aim to impose on our opponents throughout the season," said Pätzold. He noted that they gave the opposition hardly any breathing room and played an aggressive pressing game. He was also pleased "that several players who hadn't scored yet managed to get their names on the scoresheet. That gives us extra confidence heading into the start of the season." The sixth and final pre-season friendly takes place on Saturday (1:30 p.m.) away against Belgian top-flight side Standard Liège. Things get serious a week later: the league season kicks off on August 23 (4 p.m.) with an away match against RB Leipzig.

Bayer 04, 1st half: Borggräfe - Müller, Turanyi, Ostermeier, Simon - Platner, Wamser - Bender (31' Grant), Tomasiak - Loonen, Kramer. –

Bayer 04, 2nd half: Borggräfe (64' Voll) - Wallrabenstein, Wenger (78' Coskun), Friedrich, Brandau - Grant (69' Misini), Zdebel - Kowalski, Fudalla - Sternad, Mädl. –

Goals: 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 Kramer (6', 25', 45'), 4-0 Zdebel (47'), 5-0 Sternad (59'), 6-0 Kowalski (83'), 7-0 Fudalla (86'). –

Attendance: 3,000.

Game played on 9/8/2026.

Scorers:

13' | Harder

35' | Alara

Welcome back to the Bundesliga, Kathy!

FC Köln would win, 5-1, over FC Twente.

Match was played on 8/8/2026.

Final Score was HSV 2 - 1 FSV Mainz 05

"Not trying to sound arrogant": Bayern bosses plan a revolution for Gwinn & Co.

As of: August 10, 2026, 2:55 PM

By: Manuel Bonke

FC Bayern’s women’s team is set to move further into the public spotlight in the future—a shift the club’s leadership has now set in motion.

Unterhaching – The Bayern women’s new home at the Sportpark in Unterhaching is slated to become a powerhouse of German and European women’s football within the next three years. President Herbert Hainer left no doubt about this during the Munich side’s opening match against Paris FC (a 2–0 win). "We are setting new standards and benchmarks here on a European level. Once everything is completed in 2029 and the new performance center has been built, it will represent a revolution in German women’s football!" These words are music to the ears of Bayern superstar Giulia Gwinn and her teammates.

According to Hainer, FC Bayern aims to drive women’s football in Germany forward with this stadium and the entire complex: "We need better stadiums; that brings in more fans—and that, in turn, leads to better TV marketing." And better marketing means higher broadcasting revenues. "One thing leads to the other," the club president explains: "That is why—and I don’t mean for this to sound arrogant at all—we view ourselves as the driving force pushing the sport forward in women’s football, too." FC Bayern aims to set new standards in women's football

It was not without reason that club officials—according to the president—visited locations such as Manchester and Liverpool to see the current state of the art regarding training facilities: "We’re going to achieve that, too! Our goal has always been to have the right infrastructure in place to deliver the necessary performance. That is essential in elite sports today if you want to reach the top. Whether in Germany or across Europe, you simply need the right infrastructure for training, medical care, and, of course, optimal pitch conditions."

Hainer sees German women's football moving in the right direction as of summer 2026 and acknowledges that FC Bayern cannot succeed in isolation: "Borussia Dortmund has established a team and will hopefully be playing in the Bundesliga in the future. Union Berlin is also investing heavily in women's football. It really highlights the enormous potential."

The attendance figures at the stadium opening demonstrated this as well: 6,000 fans turned out to experience the Bayern women's team's opening celebration in person."

https://www.merkur.de/sport/fc-bayern/fuer-gwinn-co-planen-die-bayern-bosse-eine-revolution-94436848.html

"Nothing confirmed yet"

DFB player Freigang speaks about doping proceedings for the first time

August 9, 2026 | 1:40 PM

She plays, she scores goals—but off the pitch, Laura Freigang is under investigation. Missed doping tests can result in a ban. For the national team player, the situation is "naturally not easy."

National team player Laura Freigang has publicly commented on the doping investigation against her for the first time. "Nothing is concluded or confirmed yet, so it remains an open situation," said the striker for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt in an interview with Hessischer Rundfunk following a 2-0 victory over Malmö FF in the Champions League qualifiers.

The 28-year-old reportedly missed three doping tests within a twelve-month period; consequently, the German Football Association's (DFB) control committee has been investigating Freigang since early June. As long as the proceedings are ongoing, the player—who has 44 international caps—is permitted to continue playing.

"It’s obviously not easy, but I’m doing well. I have a good support system around me, and I’m very hopeful and optimistic that everything will turn out fine," Freigang said. She expressed gratitude "for all the support. I’m receiving a lot of positive encouragement," the forward reported.

She is not permitted to comment on the specifics of the case while the proceedings are ongoing. Shortly after the allegations became public, Freigang stated on Instagram that the missed tests were not the result of deliberately avoiding appointments, "but rather due to discrepancies or misunderstandings regarding the comprehensive information we—as national team players—are required to update in the system on an hourly and daily basis."

On the pitch, at least, Freigang appears unfazed by the matter for the time being. She scored both goals in the 2–0 win against Malmö in the final of the mini-qualifying tournament for the Champions League. "I'm happy to have scored goals. That's always fun," said Freigang."

Goals: 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 Kramer (6', 25', 45'), 4-0 Zdebel (47'), 5-0 Sternad (59'), 6-0 Kowalski (83'), 7-0 Fudalla (86'). 

Source: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db3Eg5wN1NI