Sand and Munich were the only two to make it out of week six with a clean sheet after wins over toiling Köln and Jena as Duisburg fell to another narrow loss at the hands of Essen. Elsewhere both Freiburg and Wolfsburg left it late against stubborn Hoffenheim and Bremen sides whilst Potsdam were held by Frankfurt.

SC Sand 3-0 FC Köln

Nina Burger’s sixth minute header should have been the signal for the floodgates to open in Willstätt but a lack of bite in front of goal held the score at a respectable 1-0 for the majority of the match, Köln well in it but Sand unquestionably the team on top.

With just seconds of regulation time left, Anne van Bonn nipped around Anne-Kathrine Kremer before tucking the ball home to confirm all three points, Burger’s stoppage time volley a cherry on top and another blow for the Billygoats. 

SC Freiburg 2-1 1899 Hoffenheim

Up against a stubborn Hoffenheim side, Freiburg had to wait for first-half stoppage time to break the deadlock at the Möslestadion, Giulia Gwinn sharp to slam Hasret Kayikçi’s scuffed shot home at the by-line just before it could drift out. Though the main talking point of the first-half remained the clash minutes before the goal between Michaela Specht and Sophie Howard that forced Jürgen Ehrmann into making two early substitutions.

Where a lack of clinical edge had cost the visitors just before the break when Laura Benkarth was more than able to divert two weak efforts away from her goal, Fabienne Dongus found the perfect touch to restore parity in the second-half with a low strike. Considerably off of the pace and not looking anywhere near as effervescent as they were before the most recent international break, Freiburg weathered TSG’s better chances and snatched a late late win when Kayikçi’s nodded Carolin Simon’s neat cross under Friederike Abt in stoppage time to keep them hot on Wolfsburg’s heels.

USV Jena 0-5 Bayern München

Having a somewhat torrid time of it recently, Jena were doing themselves no favours at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld when Munich came to town, Susann Utes’ fourth minute own goal enough to set the tone for the match. With a hand in the first goal, Jill Roord was lively again four minutes later, teeing up Fridolina Rolfö in the box, the Swede’s initial effort blocked by Justien Odeurs, the ‘keeper still down as Mandy Islacker swept the ball into the open net.

The combination that had worked so well in the first half paid dividends after the break too when Roord set Rolfö on her way down the expanse of the left flank, the rangy attacker more than able to wriggle away from Karoline Heinze’s challenge before thundering the ball into the top of the net. In fine fettle, Rolfö had a hand in the fourth goal too, racing onto another ball down the left before taking it into the box and squaring for half-time substitute Lucie Voňková.

With time ticking away and the game already well won there was still time for Bayern to make it a healthy five after Nicole Rolser was felled in the area by Catherine Bott, Simone Laudehr calm from 12-yards to send Odeurs the wrong way.

VfL Wolfsburg 3-2 Werder Bremen

Up against a resolute Bremen side, the reigning champions took the lead just after the quarter hour when Tessa Wullaert timed her run well to float in behind Nina Lührßen and nod the ball over Anneke Borbe’s gloves. The game rather slowed down with the hosts frustrated by a Werder side who gave them little to work with, the next goal falling the way of the visitors when Lina Hausicke when she stayed on her feet under challenge in the box to fire beyond Almuth Schult, after completing a one-two with Verena Volkmer.

The parity lasted just two minutes however, Wolfsburg taking the lead with style after some light touches in the box that saw the ball passed from Alex Popp to Lara Dickenmann and finally to Pernille Harder who clipped the ball over the line. If Hausicke’s first goal wasn’t in the script, her second was enough to burn down the whole theatre, the teenager in the right place to hammer home after Schult had parried Lührßen’s initial effort.

With an unflappable predictability, the hosts regained the lead in the last ten minutes, Harder at the double to salvage all three points for the Wolves with a delightful chip from the edge of the area. 

MSV Duisburg 1-2 SGS Essen

In one of the few geographical derbies in the league, Duisburg looked to end their run of seven defeats (by a one goal margin) though Essen were in no mood to help them out of their quandary.

Restrained throughout the first-half, the Esseners look the lead not long after the restart at a floated free kick from Linda Dallmann, Marina Hegering bright to get to the ball before Lena Nuding and pull it away before lashing it into the roof of the net. Dallmann was once again the creator as the visitors doubled their lead just after the hour, her corner poorly dealt with by the hosts and Jacqueline Klasen free to skim the ball along the turf and into the open net.

Digging in as they have since they made their FBL bow last year, Duisburg were able to claw a goal back, Kathleen Radtke’s curled finish enough to get the better of Lisa Weiß six minutes from time though, as it has so often been for the Zebras, it was too little, too late.

Turbine Potsdam 1-1 FFC Frankfurt

Looking to get back to winning ways after losing ground on the top two, Potsdam hosted an improving Frankfurt team who were growing in confidence under new manager, Niko Arnautis.

After a relatively quiet first twenty minutes the hosts took the lead when Svenja Huth chased down a long ball before cutting into the box and knocking the ball just beyond former Potsdamer, Bryane Heaberlin. Both teams suddenly sparked into life, Tabea Kemme’s flying volley sliced against the top of the bar before bouncing behind just seconds after Huth’s opener as Frankfurt began to find their feet. Concerted pressure from the visitors saw FFC net an equaliser, Ana-Maria Crnogorčević’s low drive enough to get the better of Lisa Schmitz en route to finding the bottom corner.

The second half belonged to the hosts although they failed to find a way through a stubborn Frankfurt defence who left them with few opportunities, those that fell for the hosts routinely missed and mistimed, a point all either had to show for 90 tiring minutes.

FBL table as it stands (Credit: DFB)
FBL table as it stands (Credit: DFB)
VAVEL Logo
About the author
Sophie Lawson
Neutral football fan travelling around Europe, covering matches and bothering footballers for interviews