First league match in 2026: BVB women set to return to league action | OneFootball

The scenarioThe BVB women have completed a week of varied training sessions and challenging friendly matches. They ended their 14-week break from competitive action with a 1-0 victory in a friendly against Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen. This weekend, the team will be back in action in the Regionalliga West. With 11 matchdays remaining, the Black & Yellows are in second place in the table with 35 points and an excellent goal difference (65 goals scored and only 9 conceded). Six points separate the team from the league leaders, 1. FC Köln's U21s, who have already played one game more.

Personnel mattersAlmost the entire team will travel to Mönchengladbach on Sunday. The game comes too soon for Ann-Sophie Vogel after her partial integration into team training. “She trained very intensively yesterday, but she'll probably need another week or two,” explains Markus Högner. After her shoulder surgery, Sara Ito completed part of her rehabilitation in Japan and she is expected to rejoin team training soon. Marah Tayeh, who was briefly sidelined with a cold after the international break, has returned to full training. Dana Marquardt (cruciate ligament rupture) and Mia Scholle (cruciate ligament rupture) remain sidelined for the long term.

The opponentBorussia Mönchengladbach's second team has so far been unable to build on its performances from last season. Last year's runners-up are currently tenth in the table after the winter break. They have picked up 14 points (three wins and five draws) from 15 games. In their most recent preparations, the team lost friendly matches against league rivals Deutz 05 (2-3) and 1. FFC Recklinghausen (4-7). Given the young team and after the long break, Markus Högner nevertheless expects “a surprise package”.

Focus on the second half of the seasonLeague matches instead of friendlies – starting this week, the coaching team and the squad will be changing their training routine again. “When we play in the league each week, we prepare specifically for the upcoming opponent on a weekly basis,” reveals Markus Högner. Nevertheless, the focus must remain on our own game. “Control of the game, solutions in tight spaces and good counter-pressing” are the head coach's main tasks for the coming weeks. These are attributes that his team implemented in their 7-0 victory in the reverse fixture. Ronja Leubner, Dana Marquardt and Rita Schumacher scored twice each, while captain Paula Reimann made it 4-0 before half-time.