FC Bayern Women move top with Freiburg victory

FC Bayern Women moved back to the top of the Bundesliga table with a comprehensive 4-0 win at home to Freiburg on Monday evening. With president Herbert Hainer in attendance, new signing Linda Sembrant opened the scoring inside six minutes. Lea Schüller then doubled the advantage in the first half on her 200th Bundesliga appearance. Quickfire goals from Linda Dallmann and Katharina Naschenweng on the hour rounded off the victory.

Since Wolfsburg were held to a draw away at Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday, the result takes Bayern into first place in the Bundesliga on 30 points after 12 games – one ahead of the She-Wolves and four clear of Eintracht Frankfurt back in third.

Sembrant back into the side

Head coach Alexander Straus made just one change to his team that started last week’s 2-2 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. That saw Sembrant, who was ineligible in Europe, come in for Tuva Hansen in central defence.

Die Frauen were still without Tainara due to illness, as well as long-term absentees Carolin Simon (cruciate ligament), Weronika Zawistowska (cruciate ligament), Cecilia Ran Runarsdottir (kneecap), Magdalena Eriksson (metatarsal) and Ana Maria Guzman (knee).

Early lead

Bayern got off to a good start and immediately applied pressure on the Freiburg defence. It took only six minutes to carve out a telling chance when Klara Bühl’s corner was met by the head of Sembrant, who put away her first goal for the Munich ladies.

The visitors then found their feet somewhat but could not find a way through the solid Bayern defence. At the other end, Pernille Harder picked out Schüller with a cross into the box. The German striker made no mistake on her left foot from close range. Harder had an opportunity herself before the break, winning the ball on the halfway line and driving forward but failing to beat goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe as it remained 2-0 at the break.

Doubling up in second half

Bayern picked up where they left off and doubled their advantage in the space of two second-half minutes. First Dallmann got past Lisa Karl and finished with the help of a deflection off the Freiburg player to make it 3-0 on 58 minutes. Dallmann was again involved moments later as she played in Naschenweng, who found the net from a tight angle on the left as the game reached the hour mark.

Straus’s team didn’t tire trying to add to their total, while Freiburg failed to muster up any telling attempts against Mala Grohs. However, there were to be no more goals at the Campus as it finished an impressive 4-0 to Bayern.

Away at Köln and Offenbach

Die Frauen now have back-to-back away games coming up as they go to Cologne for Matchday 13 on Saturday, 10 February (14:00 CET). The following Wednesday, 14 February, is the rearranged DFB Cup round of 16 tie at Kickers Offenbach at 19:00.