Final game of 2023
Tue, 19/12/23, 15:00
Bayern Women ‘know what it’ll come down to’ ahead of Ajax visit
The final game of 2023 sees FC Bayern Women face a trip to Amsterdam as they take on Dutch champions Ajax on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage on Wednesday at the Johann Cruyff Arena (kick-off at 18:45 CET, free stream available in selected countries with DAZN). Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game.
State of play
The return fixture in Munich last week ended 1-1 after Lea Schüller put Bayern ahead early on, but Chasity Grant levelled for the visitors at the FC Bayern Campus. The point keeps Bayern top of a tight Group C, although the gap to bottom side Paris Saint-Germain is only two points. In the Bundesliga, Bayern were also held to a 1-1 draw on Sunday at Nürnberg.
Read up on the pre-match facts:
Opponents Ajax
The Dutch side are third in Group C on four points after three games played. After opening the campaign with a 2-0 win over PSG, they were then beaten 3-0 by Roma before last week’s draw in Munich. Domestically, the defending champions claimed a 3-0 win over Den Haag at the weekend and sit second in the table.
Personnel
Klara Bühl (muscular) and Magdalena Eriksson (metatarsal) are out for several weeks. Head coach Alexander Straus is also still without long-term injury absentees Carolin Simon (cruciate ligament), Weronika Zawistowska (cruciate ligament) and Cécilía Rán Rúnarsdóttir (kneecap).
Goalkeeper Mala Grohs and her team want to end the year on a high in Amsterdam.
Straus: “A very important game for us”
Straus: “Ajax played well in the first meeting and made things very tough for us. But we’ve reset and the team is absolutely capable of competing. We had a good week of training and know what it’ll come down to. We need to find our rhythm again. It’s a very important game for us that we want to win.”
Sarah Zadrazil: “We’ve taken a lot from the first meeting. Our strengths lie in possession. We can’t lose the ball so quickly. If we do that and reach our level again, we’ll be able to take three points back to Munich.”
Watch Straus and Zadrazil’s pre-match press conference in full:
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