FC Bayern Women conclude season with win over Essen

FC Bayern Women wrapped up their successful 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign with a 3-0 victory at home to Essen on Sunday. The result made it 11 wins from 11 in the second half of the season for the champions. Lea Schüller opened the scoring in the first half at the FC Bayern Campus, where president Herbert Hainer and CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen were watching on. Pernille Harder doubled the advantage just before the break, with Schüller adding her second and the team’s third after the hour mark.

Straus: “I’m very pleased”

“Today I got exactly what I wanted. I’m very pleased. It was a great journey,” said outgoing coach Alexander Straus of his final match in charge. “It was a fantastic three years together with the whole team. I gave everything for the team and we enjoyed great success. We’ve won the Bundesliga three years in a row and made history.”

Schüller: “It was special”

Goalscorer Schüller added: “It was special to finish the season with a game like this here in front of our friends, family and fans. I think we’ll have a good time together tonight.”

Goodbyes for coach and players

Prior to kick-off, the club said goodbye to Straus and five players. Magou Doucouré, Tainara, Michelle Ulbrich, Weronika Zawistowska and Linda Sembrant will all be moving on this summer and we wish them all the best.

Two first-half goals

Bayern needed a bit of time to settle into the game and were lucky early on as Jacqueline Meißner’s header from a corner struck the bar. But the Munich Frauen got going after that and had their first chance when Harder tested Kim-Lea Sindermann in the Essen goal, before another effort from the Dane found the side netting from a tight angle. Schüller made no mistake after 36 minutes, though, when she headed in Bühl’s cross. The 2,500 fans inside the Campus were then treated to a second goal before half-time, this time Harder the beneficiary of a Bühl delivery from a corner.

Countdown to celebrations

Things calmed down again after the restart with few chances of real note. Carolin Simon fired narrowly wide from the edge of the box on the hour. Bayern’s third was then gifted to them as a result of Schüller’s pressure when she blocked an attempted clearance from Sindermann, with the ball bouncing into the net. The Germany international could’ve had a hat-trick before the day was done but hit the post on the turn as Bayern brought down the curtain on their successful title defence with a 3-0 win before lifting the Meisterschale.