FC Bayern Women stay top with victory over Hoffenheim

FC Bayern Women made it three wins from three in the Google Pixel Bundesliga with a 5-1 victory over Hoffenheim at the Campus on Monday evening. Selina Cerci put the visitors ahead just before the half-hour mark, but Bayern hit back before the break with goals from Georgia Stanway and Pernille Harder. With board member for sport Max Eberl and Germany head coach Christian Wück in attendance, Harder struck twice more after the break to complete her hat-trick, and Sydney Lohmann added a fifth as the defending champions wrapped up the win to stay top of the table on nine points, two ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg.

DFB’s sustainability matchday

The motto for this matchday was ‘Together: Good Play’. The aim was to raise awareness of sustainability beyond ecological aspects. The central element of the campaign was a banner held up by the players of both teams at every match, which is intended to raise awareness of the issue. The materials used for this are then upcycled into stadium seat cushions so that no resources are wasted. As part of the sustainability matchday, there was also an information stand in front of the stadium with a donation campaign organised by our cooperation partner Mädchen an den Ball.

Signature campaign against right-wing extremism

All visitors to the Campus also had the opportunity to show their support for a righteous cause and take a stand by signing the club’s ‘Not with us’ campaign inside the *1900 clubhouse, which aims to make a statement against right-wing extremism, antisemitism and racism before the game. Supported by president Herbert Hainer and honorary president Uli Hoeneß, signatures are being collected on large rolls of paper that will eventually stretch from Munich's Feldherrnhalle to the Siegestor.

One change

Head coach Alexander Straus made just one change to the team that started last weekend’s 6-2 win over RB Leipzig as Carolin Simon came in for the suspended Linda Sembrant following her red card.

Narrow first-half lead

The hosts looked to control the game from the start, but clear-cut chances remained at a premium. It wasn’t until the 18th minute that Bayern got close to the Hoffenheim goal when Sarah Zadrazil forced a turnover in midfield and played in Harder, but goalkeeper Laura Dick made the save. There was no mistake up the other end 10 minutes later when Cerci curled in an unstoppable effort off the far post from over 25 yards out to put the visitors in front. Stanway tried to force an equaliser with an effort from range but was also denied by Dick. Bayern finally had their way back in when the referee pointed to the spot for handball and the England international converted the penalty with four minutes to go until half-time. In a repeat of last week’s game, the Munich Frauen would then complete a first-half turnaround with two late goals and take a lead into the break when Harder headed home Klara Bühl’s corner on the stroke of the half-time whistle.

Harder bags hat-trick

Straus’s team picked up where they left off following the restart, with Bühl seeing an effort cleared off the line by Jana Feldkamp just two minutes in. Harder then bagged her brace and Bayern’s third as she led a counter through the middle from her own half just before the hour and beat Dick from a central position. The Reds weren’t as all-out in their attacks after that but still enjoyed a late flurry like they did against Leipzig. Harder got her third of the night and the campaign in the 88th minute when she tapped in from substitute Lea Schüller’s low cross to complete her hat-trick. Lohmann also got in on the act from the bench when she rounded off another counter in the fourth minute of added time to wrap up the 5-1 win that restores Bayern to the Bundesliga summit following the weekend’s other results as the division’s only team still with a perfect record.

Bremen away, Köln at home

Next up for Bayern is a trip to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday (2pm CEST). The following week sees Köln visit the FC Bayern Campus on Saturday, 5 October (2pm).