Frauen-Bundesliga Matchday 2 Preview: Chance for teams to bounce back after opening weekend goal-fest

After last weekend's opening round of games, there are seven teams this week looking to continue their unbeaten starts in the new Frauen-Bundesliga season, whilst five aim to bounce back from defeat in matchday one.

Whereas last week brought us a clash of two of last season's top four, as Bayern Munich welcomed 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, and a battle between the two newly-promoted teams, Werder Bremen and 1. FC Köln, this week our matches are closer in the mid-table region, whilst contenders for the top and bottom places in the standings face off.

The big four will fancy their chances of victory this weekend, but there are opportunities in this game week for some of the upper mid-table sides to make a name for themselves too, sending a statement out to the rest of the league.

Seemingly straight forward round for the big guns

As aforementioned, the big four should have a good weekend, with them each having rather routine fixtures on their hands.

1. FFC Frankfurt kick things off away to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Saturday morning, a game which they won 7-1 last season. The team will be looking for a far more convincing performance this time out, having relied on two late goals at home to SGS Essen last Sunday to secure three points.

However, one positive from that game was that summer signing Yuki Ogimi, recruited to replace the now-retired Celia Sasic, found the back of the net in her competitive debut for her new club, and she will hope to add to that in Hoffenheim.

The hosts too will be looking to improve from last weekend, with them recording a goalless draw away to SC Freiburg - but they would surely take a similar outcome from their encounter with Frankfurt.

Potsdam are the second of these four in action this weekend, hosting Freiburg on Sunday morning. Their opponents look to have all the tools to be this season's surprise package, and, though Turbine are the smallest 'big scalp' they could claim to show this is true, a victory would surely send out a message that they are the real deal. However, the hosts have points of their own to prove, having lost 3-1 to Bayern in last Friday's curtain-raiser.

VfL Wolfsburg and Bayern, however, face the two newly-promoted sides in a pair of less tricky encounters. Wolfsburg have the tougher affair going by last weekend's results, with Werder convincingly defeating Köln 6-2, though both they, and the reigning champions, will be confident of three points on Sunday afternoon.

Two tight encounters in mid-table

The remaining two fixtures this weekend see Essen welcome SC Sand, whilst USV Jena travel to Bayer Leverkusen.

Essen were unfortunate last time out when they travelled to face Champions League holders Frankfurt, with only two goals in the final 15 minutes preventing them from taking a point home.

They face a tough task in bouncing back from that defeat though, with Sand having turned quite a few heads last time out themselves with a 4-0 victory over another potential surprise package in Leverkusen, establishing a three goal lead before half time.

Jena, therefore, will fancy their chances of recovering well from their own dismantling last weekend, that one coming at the hands of Wolfsburg, who knocked eight past them without reply.

With the relegation battle proving to be extremely tight last season, sucking everyone in from fifth downwards, every point counts and thus these four in particular will be desperate to get good results this weekend in more than winnable fixtures, having all being involved in the dogfight somewhat last term.