Bayern Munich Frauen kicked off the Frauen-Bundesliga campaign on Friday with a road trip to SC Freiburg. The match resulted in a 2-1 win for the Bavarians.
Despite a modest edge in possession, Bayern continue to show somewhat tempered performances — failing to register shots on target in spite of volume (three from 22 shots total). Freiburg’s Janina Minge kicked off the scoring in just the sixth minute, and though Bayern striker Lea Schüller equalized in the 21st, neither team could find a breakthrough.
The game was heading towards a drawn-out draw when Katharina Naschenweng — also in her first season with the team after arriving from Hoffenheim — found a dramatic would-be winner in the 90th minute. The defender was there to collect the pieces from a strike from Schüller that rebounded off the post, giving the Bavarians a much-needed surge of euphoria.
It was not to last.
Freiburg substitute striker Svenja Fölmli hit back to equalize for the home side in the seventh minute of stoppage time, and the affair ended — fittingly — with the sides sharing the spoils.
Later in the day, the Bayern men’s side would copy the same script, from the extended 1-1 draw state to the flurry of late goals (Bayern first, followed by a concession), to add a second 2-2 draw on the day.
Bayern’s starting lineup continues to feature new signing Pernille Harder, who arrived from Chelsea FC:
It also marks a return to action for Giulia Gwinn, who logged 83 minutes at right-back before giving way to Tuva Hansen.
Bayern is the defending champion, but last year’s Frauen-Bundesliga title race went down to the wire. Bayern edged out Wolfsburg by just two points; the teams went 19-2-1 and 19-0-3, respectively, with a late-season contest between the two — a Bayern victory — proving decisive. Freiburg finished sixth last season.
If Bayern is to repeat, every point is crucial, and last-ditch winners to change the tide are exactly the kind of mentality demonstration befitting champions. Unfortunately — avoiding getting hit back immediately is part of that, too.
Now Bayern has already notched a draw from just one Matchday. But! The same thing happened last year — a nil-nil result against Eintracht Frankfurt to open 2022/23. Will history repeat?
Bayern hosts FC Köln next on October 2.
Looking for takes and analysis on today’s Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen match? Check out our Postgame Show on Spotify or below:
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