New Delhi: Bayern Munich maintained their perfect start to the Frauen Bundesliga season with a 4-0 win over a resilient Werder Bremen, though the scoreline doesn’t fully capture the difficulties they faced. Interestingly, Bayern only broke the game wide open after being reduced to ten players in the second half.
Bayern coach Alexander Straus made several changes to his lineup following their previous 5-1 victory over Hoffenheim. Lea Schüller, Samantha Kerr, and Amanda Ilestedt Sembrant came into the starting eleven, while Jovana Damnjanovic started on the bench, and Sarah Zadrazil was absent due to muscular problems. On the other side, Werder Bremen coach Thomas Horsch also shuffled his lineup after their 0-2 loss to Leipzig, bringing in Nicole Wirtz, Michelle Wichmann, and Fabienne Matheis.
Bayern dominated the early stages of the match, pinning Bremen back in their half and controlling possession. An early goal seemed imminent when Glodis Viggosdottir found the back of the net, but her effort was ruled offside in the 6th minute. Despite Bayern’s control, Bremen managed to hold them off, with their goalkeeper Anneke Peng making key saves.
Werder Bremen also had a moment of hope in the 18th minute when Yasmin Mahmoud took a speculative shot from distance but that hit the crossbar nearly catching Bayern off guard. A well-executed corner saw Schüller volley home from close range putting Bayern 1-0 up.
As the match progressed, Bremen gained confidence and looked more threatening going forward. Bremen’s most dangerous player Mahmoud delivered a cross to Wichmann but the opportunity was squandered in the 36th minute. Bayern despite leading seemed to lose their early rhythm.
The turning point came early in the second half when Bayern captain Viggosdottir was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the 51st minute. Down to ten players, Bayern found themselves under pressure, but Werder Bremen failed to create clear scoring chances. Instead, Bayern extended their lead through a moment of brilliance from Georgia Stanway. In the 71st minute, the midfielder struck a powerful shot from outside the box into the top corner, making it 2-0.
Bremen pressed forward but missed crucial opportunities notably when Weidauer failed to convert from a central position in the 85th minute. Bayern responded quickly and scored twice in the final minutes. Pernille Harder netted in the 85th minute, followed by Jovana Damnjanovic just a minute later sealing a comprehensive 4-0 win for Bayern. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Bayern’s clinical finishing secured another three points leaving Bremen to reflect on what might have been.
Bayern Munich maintained their perfect start to the season with a late surge against Werder Bremen, overcoming adversity after going down to ten players. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
