The German champion FC Bayern Munich builds his series of successes in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga further out. Coach Alexander Straus’ team had one on matchday 5 1:0 (0:0)-Home win against 1. FC Cologne and continues to lead the table with an optimal 15 points. Across the season, it was the defending champion’s 17th win in a row and the 44th game without defeat.
In front of 2,500 spectators at the FC Bayern Campus, substitute national player Klara Bühl (71st) made the difference with her third goal of the season against a defensively disciplined and offensively courageous Cologne team.
This means FC Bayern is ready for the start of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. On Wednesday (from 6:45 p.m., live on DAZN) the Munich team will host Arsenal FC. Next Saturday, October 12th (from 5:45 p.m., live on ARD as well as on MagentaSport and DAZN), the top Bundesliga game against runner-up VfL Wolfsburg is on the program in the large Volkswagen Arena.
Alexander Straus: “Not so much control”
“We got three points, that’s the most important thing for us,” said Bayern coach Alexander Straus. “We didn’t show what we wanted. But I’m glad we won. We were the better team, but didn’t have as much control as in the previous games. Now we’re focusing on Arsenal, that will be different Challenge. We need better performance, but we know that.”
National player Sydney Lohmann said: It was a very difficult game for us. Cologne has made the rooms very narrow. In the first half we failed to capitalize on our good scoring opportunities.”
Match winner Klara Bühl explained: “My goal was to fulfill the role as a substitute as best as possible. I managed that well. I simply gathered the courage to shoot from a distance. Now we’re looking forward to the Champions League. I’m sure that we will play a good game against Arsenal.”
1. FC Köln: Osigus represents goalkeeper Hoppe
Alexander Straus, coach of FC Bayern Munich, made three changes compared to the 4-0 win at SV Werder Bremen. Glodis Viggosdottir was missing from the squad due to a yellow-red suspension. Linda Dallmann and Klara Bühl also sat on the bench. Carolin Simon, Sydney Lohmann and Jovana Damnjanovic moved into the starting line-up.
Visiting coach Daniel Weber had to change his team’s goalkeeper position. Paula Hoppe (bruise) was unable to take part. Josefine Osigus took care of the box. In addition, Nicole Billa initially stayed out in the 0-2 loss against SC Freiburg. Alena Bienz was new to the team.
FCB with the first chance
1. FC Köln made the space tight from the start, but also continually sought their own way forward. The first notable opportunity still belonged to the current German champions. Pernille Harder served Lea Schüller with a pass through the interface. However, Josefine Osigus was able to parry the German international’s shot. Shortly afterwards, an even better opportunity for the hosts: A long ball from Carolin Simon slipped through to Jovana Damnjanovic. The Serbian’s shot went just wide of the goal.
After almost half an hour, the Cologne team also had their first dangerous shot. Taylor Ziemer secured the ball in the penalty area and laid it off for Alena Bienz. The 21-year-old tested FCB goalkeeper Maria-Luisa Grohs with her shot. A Cologne cross from captain Anna Gerhardt was unable to bring Vanessa Leimenstoll from a promising position to the goal. Since Schüller also missed the goal with her powerful attempt after Harder’s preparatory work, the half-time break was scoreless.
Substitution pays off
After a quick throw-in from Lea Schüller, FC Bayern Munich had their first chance in the second half. Harder tested Cologne goalkeeper Osigus from a tight angle. But the guests still didn’t hide. Taylor Ziemer retained the ball in a small space and set up for Dora Zeller, who narrowly missed the target with her powerful shot.
After about an hour the game calmed down a bit. FC Bayern found it difficult to find further gaps in the opposition’s defense. 1. FC Cologne, on the other hand, kept the German champions busy, but without getting into compelling situations themselves. Then the Munich substitution of Klara Bühl for Jovana Damnjanovic should pay off. The national player initially asserted herself in an aerial duel with Sylwia Matysik, then Bühl (71′) finished with her right, unstoppable for Osigus to give the FCB the lead.
1. FC Köln brought in another new player, Nicole Billa, for Adriana Achcinska for the final phase. Coach Daniel Weber’s team also increased the risk, but rarely put the hosts’ defense under pressure. Instead, FC Bayern had some promising counterattack situations, but the German champions were unable to exploit them cleanly enough. It was a narrow success.
