FC Bayern Women return to action with victory in Essen

FC Bayern Women extended their unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions as they returned from the international break with a 2-0 win away at Essen. Pernille Harder scored the opening after half an hour, before Georgia Stanway made sure of the three points in added time.

Viggósdóttir: "Deserved to win"

"We completely dominated the game in the first half and should've scored more. Essen then came out for the second half with lots of energy and we were less sure of ourselves. But we fought well and deserved to win in the end," said captain Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir.

Two changes

Head coach Alexander Straus made two changes from the team that started the DFB Cup round of 16 win at Freiburg in November. Julia Zigiotti came in for Sarah Zadrazil in midfield, while Alara Sehitler replaced Linda Dallmann in attack.

Harder for half-time lead

Bayern laid down an early marker when Giulia Gwinn flashed a ball into the box, which Lena Ostermeier deflected and forced a good stop out of goalkeeper Sophia Winkler by her near post. The Essen net-minder was again called into action just moments later to deny a Harder header from Klara Bühl’s delivery. The Munich Frauen remained in the ascendency but just lacked the final ball, like when Carolin Simon’s cutback evaded Sehitler and Bühl’s attempt to find Harder was blocked.

The champions finally had their deserved goal after 30 minutes when Gwinn found Sehitler on the edge of the area and she dinked the ball over the top into the path of Harder to turn in. Winkler prevented further damage with two more stops from Bühl and Harder. The Dane thought she then had a second but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Stanway into empty net

Essen had the first chance of the second half when Laureta Elmazi fired wide from just inside the box. The hosts kept on the front foot, and Ramona Maier forced two saves in quick succession out of Ena Mahmutovic. Bayern soon regained some control and came close to a second when substitutes Jovana Damnjanovic and Dallmann combined, only for the latter to see her shot blocked. Winkler denied Stanway from range, but there was nothing the Essen goalkeeper could do three minutes into added time when caught up the field at a late corner, with Stanway making no mistake to roll the ball into the empty goal from wide on the right midway inside the Essen half.

Juventus in Champions League

The game in Essen marks the conclusion of the first half of the Bundesliga season, with FCB earning 26 points from 11 matches. Next up for Bayern is their fifth game of the Champions League group stage at home to Juventus, with a place in the quarter-finals already secure ahead of Thursday’s meeting (kick-off: 6.45pm CET). Turbine Potsdam are then the visitors to the Campus in the Bundesliga on Sunday (2pm).