Alara again, Leverkusen again: How history repeated itself against the Werkself

Some football stories seem made up, precisely because they are so readily repeated. Alara stood on the edge of the Leverkusen penalty area in the 88th minute, received the ball from Klara Bühl and coolly slotted it into the far corner. A feeling of déjà-vu. Around two years ago, the now 19-year-old scored her first Bundesliga goal for FC Bayern at the same place, which also made the score 3-2 in the 90th minute. This was her tenth goal, again against Leverkusen and again to seal a 3-2 win. Football had saved the best for last. But let’s go back, because this wild evening in Leverkusen began long before Alara brought it to a conclusion.

Control but lacking cutting edge

The road to a fourth win in four games was less straightforward than the result and the statistics might suggest. FCB Women had the ball almost constantly – registering 76 percent possession – and moved it around patiently, forcing Leverkusen deep into their own half. The Werkself defended with great discipline, crowding the spaces and turning nearly every attacking situation into a test of patience. The double winners played pretty well for the most part, but not with the precision required to turn dominance into clear-cut chances. Something was lacking – sometimes courage. “We were just lacking the final pass or the final finish at the end,” said Franziska Kett, who returned to the starting line-up after her injury.

Nevertheless, José Barcala saw the first half as one of his team’s strongest displays so far this season. “The first 45 minutes were probably the best this season, we had tremendous control,” said the Spaniard. However, it was dominance that didn’t quite translate into danger. And that was precisely what made this match slightly unsettling: Bayern dictated the pace, while Leverkusen dictated the patience.

Watch the highlights (in German):

Tomasiak makes a lot out of little

And so perhaps it fitted the evening that Leverkusen struck during a period in which Bayern gave hardly anything anyway. Summer signing Paulina Tomasiak gave the hosts the lead with a deflected free kick. Shortly after the equaliser, the Pole capitalised on a mistake in the Bayern build-up and made it 2-1. Two chances, two goals from a player who caused the Munich defence a number of problems.

Tomasiak was one of the standout Leverkusen players on this September evening, running, pressing, defending and taking her opportunities with impressive efficiency. After the game, director Bianca Rech praised Bayer 04’s collective performance but also that of the striker, in particular highlighting her sprinting ability. It was only fair to acknowledge the strengths of the opponents too here. Leverkusen made Bayern’s life difficult – none more so than Tomasiak.

Gwinn caps milestone performance

In amongst all this, Giulia Gwinn also wrote her own little story.  Her 150th competitive appearance for FCB was not just a footnote. The 27-year-old influenced the game with her dynamism on the right flank and proved to be the most important provider of the evening. In the 51st minute, the Germany international’s cross found Vanessa Gilles, who headed it in for the equaliser. With 68 minutes on the clock, it was again Gwinn whose precise ball set up Edna Imade. Two assists in her milestone game – and therefore a key factor in Bayern twice coming from behind.

For Gilles, the goal was more than just an equaliser – it was the continuation of a remarkable run. The Canadian has now scored in three consecutive Bundesliga games, making it three goals in the first four league games of the campaign. A centre-back, who actually earns her money by preventing the opponents from scoring, is currently proving to be a surprisingly reliable source of goals. Gilles’ attitude seems to be: if you keep it tight at the back, you can be a bit more expansive going forward.

Reply comes from the bench

Following Leverkusen’s second goal, the game opened up. “After going behind again, we lost a bit of control because of the emotions,” commented Barcala. Yet in this moment, a quality emerged that isn’t reflected in possession statistics: the depth of the squad. Imade came, and just two minutes later she headed in Gwinn’s cross to make it 2-2. Alara had also come off the bench and later decided the contest.

“It says something that we had the mentality and the quality on the bench to score two more goals,” said the match-winner afterwards. Rech also referred to the added power that the visitors were able to bring on with their substitutes. It wasn’t an evening on which everything functioned, but one on which Bayern found ways.

One goal that says it all

Then the 88th minute arrived. Tanikawa played the ball forward to Bühl, who spotted Alara centrally just outside the penalty area. One touch, one look up, one well-placed shot. The ball cushioned off the inside of the post on its way into the net – 3-2 to Bayern. It was probably no coincidence that, in the end, it was she who wrote the story of this match. Two years ago, she’d scored her first Bundesliga goal for Bayern at Leverkusen in the last minute. On Monday it was her tenth – two years later, two years wiser. Leverkusen again. 3-2 again. Alara again.

Spirit sometimes worth more than skill

So, the double winners won’t come away from this meeting with the feeling of having delivered a perfect performance. For large parts they lacked a cutting edge, and they also became too disorganised after the second Leverkusen goal. But perhaps that’s why this victory is more valuable than a smooth success would’ve been. Kett returned, Gwinn marked her 150th game with two assists, Gilles scored for the third match in a row, Imade and Alara came off the bench and changed the game. The team trailed twice and fought back twice. “The girls showed spirit and came back,” said Kett. “That’s a great strength of ours.”

That’s probably the best way to sum up the evening: it wasn’t a match that Bayern won with ease, but one they had to work hard for. A match in which Leverkusen held their own for a long time, Tomasiak shone and FCB weren’t always able to translate control into clarity. But also one in which experience, resilience and quality from the bench ultimately made the difference. And so we’re left with a figure that has come to seem almost routine at Bayern – and is all the more remarkable for it: 46 Bundesliga matches in a row without defeat. Add to that 12 points from four matches. And Alara? She seems to like playing in Leverkusen.

🗞️ The match report:

🎟️ Tickets can now be requested for the Women’s Champions League game against Manchester City from this link, and for the matches against Real Madrid and Barcelona from this link: