Harder brace as FC Bayern Women beat Wolfsburg

FC Bayern Women claimed a 3-1 win in their top-of-the-table Google Pixel Bundesliga clash at home to Wolfsburg on Friday evening. Pernille Harder’s brace put the champions ahead before substitute Lea Schüller bagged a third. Lineth Beerensteyn got one back late on for the visitors.

Among the capacity 2,500 crowd at the FC Bayern Campus were club president Herbert Hainer and former head of FC Bayern Women Karin Danner. Legends such as Giovane Elber and Lothar Matthäus were also in attendance alongside Germany coach Christian Wück and his Dutch counterpart Andries Jonker, who was previously assistant coach for Bayern’s men’s team.

Four changes

Head coach Alexander Straus made four changes from the team that started last week’s 3-0 win at Köln. Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir was fit again and replaced Tuva Hansen in defence, while Sarah Zadrazil came in for Julia Zigiotti. Up front, Jovana Damnjanović and Alara Şehitler, fresh from her new contract to 2027, started for Momoko Tanikawa and Schüller.

Harder opens scoring

The game got off to a slow start due to a lengthy injury stoppage when Ena Mahmutovic and Viggósdóttir collided going for a high free-kick into the box. But once play really got going, the Munich Frauen dominated and quickly got on course for three points when Alara’s cross from the right was flicked on by Klara Bühl – who also signed a new contract this week – in the centre for Harder to tap in at the far post with 13 minutes gone. Both sides neutralised each other for a period after that until Mahmutovic was forced into a sharp save with her feet by Jule Brand. Most of the action up to half-time took place in midfield as it remained advantage Bayern after 45 minutes.

Super-sub Schüller wraps up three points

Bayern had the first chance after the restart to double their lead when Alara fired inches wide of the right corner. But a second goal did come only moments later when Harder timed her run to volley Damnjanović’s cross in from close range. Lena Lattwein struck the woodwork at the other end immediately after as the She-Wolves pushed for a way back in. Beerensteyn found the side netting on the hour mark and Harder missed out on a hat-trick as she fired just wide in an end-to-end encounter.

Giulia Gwinn was forced into a last-ditch clearance ahead of Beerensteyn from a Rebecka Blomqvist ball into the box. Bayern withstood that spell of pressure and were able to grab a third when Harder turned provider with a cross into the middle for substitute Schüller to put away. Former FCB forward Beerensteyn finally got Wolfsburg on the scoreboard with a solo effort 15 minutes from time, but all the points went to the defending champions and league leaders.

Knockout ties to come

The next big fixture for Bayern comes as soon as Tuesday when they host Lyon at the Campus in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final tie at 9pm CET. Straus’s team then have their DFB Cup semi-final clash with Hoffenheim in Munich on Saturday at 2pm.