FCB Women with late equaliser in draw at Freiburg

FC Bayern Women battled back from 2-0 down to earn a late 2-2 draw against SC Freiburg on Matchday 9 of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga. The hosts held a surprising 2-0 lead at half-time thanks to goals from Lisa Karl and Cora Zicai inside the first 31 minutes. Alara Şehitler reduced the deficit early in the second half before Weronika Zawistowska netted the equaliser in stoppage time.

The Munich girls are still top of the Women's Bundesliga table for now with 19 points and a goal difference of +14, but both Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, who play against Hoffenheim and Köln respectively on Saturday, could move above FCB Women with a win.

Straus: 'We worked hard'

"We worked hard and if we'd scored the first goal, it could have been a very different outcome," said head coach Alexander Straus. "We created enough chances to win the game. We can't keep letting ourselves get into the situation where we have to make up two goals. We need to fix that - and we will. We have a point but that's below the standard we expect."

Two changes to line-up

The Bayern starting line-up showed two changes from the 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt on Monday. Magdalena Eriksson replaced Tuva Hansen in central defence, while Mala Grohs returned in goal after her tonsillectomy in place of Ena Mahmutovic, making her 80th appearance for FCB.

Trailing at half-time 

Straus' side initially made a good start to the game, with Klara Bühl testing Freiburg goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe in just the second minute. However, it was the hosts who got the early breakthrough. An unfortunate ricochet from the Bayern defence fell at the feet of Karl, who just had to tuck it in (16'). The German champions now found it hard to get back into the game, and it got worse in the 31st minute when Zicai made it 2-0 to the hosts. Giulia Gwinn and Pernille Harder had good chances to pull a goal back before half-time but both were denied by Borggräfe, keeping the score at 2-0 at the interval.

Şehitler and Zawistowska level score

Bayern started more lively in the second half and got it back to 2-1 just five minutes after the restart, Şehitler converting a cross from Gwinn. The game became more open with a slight edge for the visitors. Substitute Lea Schüller tried with a pass in the 75th minute to Georgia Stanway, whose attempt flew into the stands at the Dreisamstadion, where over 7,000 spectators were in attendance. Schüller then had to come back off after an unfortunate collision with Borggräfe in the box. Bayern didn't give up though and continued to put pressure on the Freiburg goal. They were rewarded in the first minute of added time, when captain Glódís Viggósdóttir headed the ball on for substitute Zawistowska, who equalised with the outside of the boot.

Home games against Vålerenga and Jena

It's a busy week ahead for FC Bayern Women. On Tuesday 12 November, the Bavarians welcome Norwegian side Vålerenga to the FC Bayern Campus in the UEFA Women's Champions League. That's followed by another home match in the league against FC Carl Zeiss Jena on Sunday 17 November. Kick-off is at 14:00 CET.

Bayern then return to the Dreisamstadion in Freiburg on Sunday 24 November as the two teams meet again in the DFB Cup round of 16, kicking off at 16:00 CET.