FCB Women beat Leverkusen despite trailing twice

• Fourth victory in fourth match
• Gwinn’s 150^th appearance for FCB Women
• Home matches against Köln and Manchester City

FC Bayern Women showed great spirit to beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 in a hard-fought top clash on Matchday 4 of the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. Paulina Tomasiak handed the home side the lead after 35 minutes, with Vanessa Gilles levelling the scores after half-time (51’), but Tomasiak restored Leverkusen’s lead immediately. Sub Edna Imade scored another equaliser after 68 minutes and Alara sealed three points with two minutes to go.

Trailing at half-time

Munich were in control from the start, but it took 15 minutes to create the first chance against very compact opponents when Vanessa Gilles headed the ball towards goal. Three minutes later, Giulia Gwinn’s shot from the edge of the box was blocked in her 150^th appearance for Munich. FCB Women upped the ante now, but Jovana Damnjanović volleyed wide (27’) before Rafaela Borggräfe denied Klara Bühl (28’). Leverkusen took the lead with their first chance after 36 minutes: Paulina Tomasiak’s free kick from 20 yards hit the wall, but the ball sailed into the top left corner of the net. Franziska Kett had another shot blocked and Bühl skied the rebound in added time, and Munich were trailing at half-time for the first time this season.

Goals galore

Munich remained in the driving seat after the restart and Gwinn’s cross invited Gilles to head home (51’). But Leverkusen responded one minute later when Munich lost the ball and Sternad teed up Tomasiak, whose powerful shot restored the lead. The goal boosted the home side, who made life more difficult for FCB in midfield now. Gwinn’s pinpoint cross invited sub Edna to head home (68’). Both teams went looking for a winner now, with Bühl setting up sub Alara, who completed the turnaround when she fired into the top right corner of the net from the edge of the box with two minutes to go.

Home match against Köln and Champions League clash with Manchester City

FC Bayern Women will be back in action on Saturday when they entertain FC Köln at the FC Bayern Campus at 14:00 CEST. José Barcala’s team kick off their UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign just three days later. FCB Women take on English champions Manchester City at Sportpark Unterhaching on 22 September.