Schüller goal not enough as FCB Women miss out on derby win

• Schüller with 70th FCB goal
• Equaliser from penalty spot
• Final match of the year in Amsterdam

FC Bayern Women were held to a 1-1 draw at 1. FC Nürnberg in their final league match of the year on Sunday. Lea Schüller gave the Munich girls an early lead in the 11th minute, with Medina Desic equalising from a penalty in the 71st.

Five changes to line-up

Head coach Alexander Straus made five changes to his starting line-up compared to the 1-1 draw against Ajax in the UEFA Women's Champions League. In defence, Tainara replaced the injured Magdalena Eriksson (metatarsal) and Tuva Hansen was preferred to Giulia Gwinn. In midfield, Sam Kerr, Lina Magull and Franziska Kett came in for Sarah Zadrazil, Linda Dallmann and Sydney Lohmann, who all started on the bench. Pernille Harder was included in the squad for the first time since suffering a ligament injury at the start of October. Captain Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir made her 80th appearance in a Bayern shirt.

Schüller with the opener

As they did against AJax, FCB Women started on the front foot in Nuremberg. There was danger in the hosts' penalty area after just six minutes, when Kett cut the ball back from the byline but FCN goalkeeper Kristin Krammer was able to divert it with her foot. A minute later Kett initiated the next attack, finding Schüller with a square pass, but her shot from 15 metres was blocked. The subsequent corner found Tainara, who headed narrowly wide.

The opening goal wasn't long coming. Georgia Stanway won a free kick midway inside the Nürnberg half, which Magull took. The midfielder went straight for goal and Krammer was only able to parry it. Schüller was in the right place to prod in the rebound to make it 1-0 after 11 minutes. It was the Germany international's 70th goal in an FCB shirt. It was Schüller who also had the chance to make it 2-0 in the 29th minute, when Krammer had problems dealing with a Stanway cross, but the 26-year-old's header just missed the target. Schüller was then unlucky just before the break, when she hit the bar from a Magull corner.

Equaliser from the spot

The Bavarians continued to push for a second goal after the restart, with Magull trying with a scissor kick in the 47th minute but having her attempt blocked. Nürnberg grew in courage after that and adopted a more attacking approach, but Maria Luisa Grohs and her defence initially held firm against the pressure from the promoted side. The Franconians had their first big chance on 65 minutes through substitute Nastassja Lein, who couldn't beat Grohs from 10 metres. Around five minutes later, Viggósdóttir was too rash in a challenge on Vanessa Haim and referee Sina Diekmann awarded a penalty. Desic took and buried it into the left corner, although Grohs did get a hand on it. 

The goal served as a wake-up call for Bayern and Straus made an attacking change with the introduction of Harder. Fellow substitute Gwinn could've regained the lead in the 82nd minute with a first-time finish from 15 metres but aimed too high. The Munich pressure continued as Jovana Damnjanović was denied by a brilliant save from Krammer, with Tainara unable to direct the subsequent corner on target. The chances continued in the closing stages: Gwinn set up Harder in the box, but Krammer was again in the way. Ten minutes were added on at the end of the second half following numerous stoppages. Bayern threw everything forward one last time but couldn't break down the Nürnberg defence, meaning it finished 1-1.

Ending the year in Amsterdam

Bayern play their final fixture of 2023 this Wednesday in the UEFA Women's Champions League. Kick-off away to Ajax is at 18:45 CET. The Munich girls return to action after the winter break on 21 January 2024 with the DFB Cup last-16 tie at Kickers Offenbach.