Opposition profile: FC Bayern Women face new-look Wolfsburg for season's first trophy

FC Bayern Women’s opening game of 2025/26 against Wolfsburg on Saturday (2pm CEST) isn’t just about getting a win. It’s a meeting of two arch-rivals who have shaped women’s football in Germany in recent years. The season-opening Supercup in Karlsruhe brings the latest edition in this long-running fixture at a time when Wolfsburg in particular are going through a lot of change. There are new faces among the She-Wolves but a familiar figure back in charge. Here’s all you need to know about Bayern’s first opponents of the season.

Pre-season

Wolfsburg won two and lost two of their friendly matches during pre-season. They opened with a 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig before a 6-0 victory over Czech champions Sparta Prague – played without players who’d competed at the Euros. A surprising 2-0 loss to Bundesliga newcomers Union Berlin then preceded a 3-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen.

A summer of change

After a season of highs and lows in 2024/25, it’s been a summer of change at Wolfsburg with 12 fresh faces in the squad and 15 players leaving, including Sveindís Jónsdóttir (Angel City FC), Rebecka Blomqvist (Eintracht Frankfurt), Jule Brand (Lyon), Marina Hegering (Köln) and Merle Frohms (Real Madrid).

The latter’s place in goal has been taken by Germany international Stina Johannes, who kept a league-leading 11 clean sheets across all 22 Bundesliga games with Eintracht Frankfurt last season. Sophia Kleinherne has also joined from Frankfurt to lead the defence with the support of Dutch full-back Janou Levels from Leverkusen. Up front, the She-Wolves have secured the services of long-time Freiburg forward Cora Zicai.

Lerch returns to the helm

The new man in charge of Wolfsburg is a familiar face as Stephan Lerch returns to the helm. The 40-year-old previously led the She-Wolves from 2017 to 2021, winning three Bundesliga titles and four consecutive DFB Cups, as well as reaching two Champions League finals. After leaving the Autostadt, he worked as head coach and sporting director at Hoffenheim. 

61st meeting

Bayern against Wolfsburg is more than just a match in women’s football. It’s also a reflection on the German game in recent years. These two giants of domestic football have faced off 60 times before, with 22 wins for Bayern to 25 for Wolfsburg (13 draws). The two rivals also boast impressive trophy collections, with seven league titles apiece. The She-Wolves are record 11-time winners of the DFB Cup, which the Munich Frauen have lifted twice and are the current holders.

The last four Bundesliga meetings have all been won by the respective home side. Although a 2-0 loss in Wolfsburg in the first half of last season ended Bayern’s 44-game unbeaten run in the league, two goals from Pernille Harder in the return fixture earned a 3-1 win in Munich and helped Bayern retain the title. Last year’s Supercup also went to the Bavarian capital after Klara Bühl hit the only goal of the game against the She-Wolves in Dresden.

Bayern faced OL Lyonnes in their last pre-season friendly on Tuesday: