This game was a statement towards the championship: the footballers of VfL Wolfsburg abruptly stopped the seemingly endless run of success of their long-term rivals FC Bayern. Coach Tommy Stroot’s team defeated the German champions 2-0 (1-0) on Saturday, inflicting their first defeat in two years on their opponents, who had previously been unbeaten in 44 Bundesliga games.
“We did an excellent job, a big compliment to the team,” said Wolfsburg’s Alexandra Popp on the ARD microphone: “We didn’t start the season optimally. Thank God we showed our quality today.” Meanwhile, the Munich team were struggling on the other side. “We didn’t have luck on our side, we just didn’t take advantage of our chances,” said Linda Dallmann at DAZN. Vivien Endemann (5th) and Lineth Beerensteyn (67th) scored in front of 17,152 spectators in the VW Arena for the She-Wolves, who put a dent in Bayern’s previously flawless title hunt on matchday six.
FC Bayern against VfL Wolfsburg
:Under special observation
The prestige duel in the Bundesliga is probably about a preliminary decision. And for Munich goalkeeper Maria Luisa Grohs, promotion to the national team.
The Munich team last left the league as losers in October 2022 – even then they were left behind in Wolfsburg (1:2). With the win, VfL reduced the gap to the defending champions to two points. On Monday (6 p.m.) Eintracht Frankfurt (13 points) could overtake Bayern in the table in the game against SC Freiburg. While the Munich team was able to gain self-confidence before the clash with their 5-2 opening win in the Champions League against FC Arsenal, Wolfsburg suffered a setback at AS Roma (0-1) on Tuesday.
Bayern were the favorites, VfL coach Stroot had explained given the starting situation, but the team would still “do everything to make the game victorious”. Munich coach Alexander Straus had once again spoken of a “big challenge”: “But we are self-confident.” But in front of their home crowd, the Wolfsburg women tried to control the game – and were rewarded early: An unsuccessful back pass from the Munich team landed at Endemann, who was on the edge of the penalty area came to the end and took the lead.
At the other end, VfL goalkeeper Merle Frohms intervened and defused a cross from Klara Bühl (7th). Shortly afterwards, a shocking moment for Bayern: Jovana Damnjanovic collided violently with VfL defender Marina Hegering and then remained lying down. After minutes of treatment, the offensive player was taken off the field on a stretcher.
After the shock, the Munich team, now with Dallmann in their ranks, tried to take more and more control of the action, the ex-Wolfsburg player Pernille Harder missed the chance to equalize and missed clearly (34th). Even after the break, both teams looked for their chances and the game continued to be competitive. Beerensteyn increased for VfL after a corner. In the final phase, Frohms directed a shot from Harder onto the crossbar (89′). “Take off Bayern’s Lederhosen” was what echoed through the stadium afterwards.
