Bayern Munich Continues Winning Streak in Frauen-Bundesliga

Bayern Munich marked the return of the Frauen-Bundesliga after a month-long winter break by extending their winning streak to 12 games. Despite some schedule adjustments, including Wolfsburg’s matchup against the bottom team Carl Zeiss Jena, the league resumed with excitement.

Solid Start to the Year for Bayern

The defending champions resumed play with a convincing 3-0 victory over RB Leipzig in their opening match of the new year. José Barcala’s squad has now achieved a remarkable 12-match winning streak, with their only points dropped being a surprising scoreless draw against Carl Zeiss Jena during matchday 3.

Challenges amidst the Weather

Sunday’s match was one of the more challenging encounters in Bayern’s undefeated stretch, not primarily due to Leipzig’s performance but rather the tough weather conditions. Heavy snowfall complicated the play for both teams at Bayern Campus.

Match Highlights

Momoko Tanikawa opened the scoring for Bayern early on, converting a penalty awarded for a handball. The hosts solidified their lead with two additional goals in the second half: Kyra Spitzner inadvertently scored an own goal shortly after coming on as a substitute, followed by Jovana Damnjanovic finally netting her first home goal this season.

Player Updates

Ivorian international Bernadette Amani made her debut for Bayern in the second half, while Edna Imade remained an unused substitute after returning from a loan with Real Sociedad. Bayern’s upcoming three matches will take them away from home, culminating in a highly-anticipated game against second-placed Wolfsburg on February 22.

Wolfsburg’s Upcoming Challenges

Wolfsburg, who will also compete in a two-legged Champions League playoff against Juventus in February, will resume their Frauen-Bundesliga campaign next Monday with a match against Köln.

Match Postponements

The matches involving Wolfsburg against Jena and Eintracht Frankfurt’s meeting with Hoffenheim have been postponed due to adverse weather and unplayable field conditions. The match in Frankfurt has been rescheduled for the first midweek in February, meaning Wolfsburg will have an outstanding game until mid-March.

Teams Moving Up the Standings

In the meantime, local rivals Bayer Leverkusen and Köln took advantage of the situation to improve their standings in the league. Leverkusen, trailing by a goal and a player against Union Berlin, managed to score twice in the final 15 minutes, with substitute Kristin Kogel clinching a last-minute winner. They have now matched fourth-placed Hoffenheim in points.

Conversely, Köln secured a 1-0 victory against Freiburg, who finished the match with ten players. Martyna Wiankowska netted the decisive penalty in the first half for the home side.

Other Match Outcomes

Elsewhere, Sophie Hillebrand completed her brace in injury-time, leading Hamburg to a dramatic win in a crucial relegation battle against SGS Essen. Third-placed Werder Bremen had the opportunity to close the gap on Wolfsburg to five points but ended in a 1-1 stalemate at home against Nürnberg.