It was six wins for the six in the top half of the Frauen-Bundesliga as Germany began to thaw back out this weekend, narrow wins of Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg enough to see off Hoffenheim and Duisburg. Elsewhere, Frankfurt, Freiburg and Turbine all hit at least four past their opposition of Jena, Köln and Bremen, Essen’s three against Sand almost paling in comparison.

Bayern München 1-0 1899 Hoffenheim

Continuing to show their strong form this season, TSG did well to repel the Bavarians throughout, a stunning strike from Sara Däbritz the difference on the day. Having already seen half of her teammates denied, Däbritz found a moment of quality when she received the ball at the top of the box, juggling it with her back to goal to turn away from Judith Steinert, Tamar Dongus and Sophie Howard.

The 23-year-old spun, keeping the ball on a shoestring before lashing it into the top corner leaving Friederike Abt no chance. Kept under heavy pressure through the second half, Abt continued to come up trumps, repeatedly denying the hosts.  

FFC Frankfurt 4-2 USV Jena

Looking for a run of good form, Jena took an early lead in Frankfurt when Lisa Seiler swept the ball home after it had been nodded on by Tiffany Cameron at a deep free kick. USV were dealt a body-blow in first-half stoppage time by the hosts when Jackie Groenen threaded her shot through a crowd at a corner, seconds after being denied by Erin McLeod.

Lise Munk’s goal just before the hour gave Jena little room for a comeback, the Dane having raced onto a lofted ball over the top and taken advantage of a poor attempted header by Jana Sedláčková, the attacker slipped the ball home from 19-yards. Getting the better of Sedláčková again little more than ten minutes later, Munk gathered Lisa Ebert’s slipped ball and clipped it over McLeod as the Canadian charged down the ball. The damage already done, McLeod was undone by another Dane two minutes later, Cecilie Sandvej’s cross too much for her to handle as she fumbled the ball and let Groenen knock the ball into the unguarded net.

As they had opened the scoring at a headed-on set piece so the visitors closed it in stoppage time, Susann Utes with the flick for Cameron to covert and give themselves something to build on next time out.

SGS Essen 3-0 SC Sand

An unusual handball by Leticia Santos gifted Essen their first goal, Turid Knaak clinical from the spot, the hosts on the scoreboard three minutes after having their first ruled out for offside. An open contest, both sides saw good chances, a brace of good saves from Lisa Weiß enough to keep the visitors out until SGS had their second. Receiving the ball just outside the box, Knaak chased in, dragging the ball just beyond Johanna Tietge the 27-year-old let fly, cutting back across the ball to slice it inside of the near post.

Still knocking on the door, Essen added a third and final goal in the last knockings, Lea Schüller bright to pounce on a piece of failed control from Anne van Bonn before trading the ball through to Linda Dallmann for her to strike low.

SC Freiburg 6-0 FC Köln

Keen to put the memories of an extra-time loss to SGS last time out of their memories, the Sport Club made it another match for the Billy Goats to forget as they were hit for six or more for the sixth time this season. Shrugging off her marker, Lena Petermann slipped the ball through to Lina Magull, the 23-year-old taking a light touch to create enough space in a mass of bodies to slot the ball home.

Petermann was involved again six minutes later to thump a corner home before grabbing her second of the game with a flicked header at a Magull free kick late in the first half.

The match went from bad to worse for Köln after the break when Claudia Hoffmann was forced to flap at the ball after Amber Hearn had nodded it towards her ‘keeper at a worked free kick, Petermann on hand to nick it home. A deft touch to take the ball past Ann-Kathrin Vinken saw Petermann free to fed Magull, the attack in acres of space in the box to roll the ball home. The match over ten minutes from time when Magull completed her hat trick, Jobina Lahr floated pass leaving the attacker plenty of space to work with as she curled the ball around the hapless defence and just inside of the far post.

Werder Bremen 1-5 Turbine Potsdam

Making just her second appearance of the season, Lara Prašnikar opened the scoring in Bremen with a tidy finish to best Lena Pauels on the half hour. Threatening all match, the Turbines claimed their second through the 19-year-old when she fired a rocket over Pauels fifteen minutes into the second half.

The Slovenian involved again just three minutes later as she chased onto a long ball from Lia Wälti, her ball across the face of goal hammered home by a sliding Sarah Zadrazil. Following a lull, Werder reduced the deficit late in the game, Gabriella Tóth’s square pass clipped home by first-half substitute Stephanie Goddard.

Not able to salvage anything late in the day, the hosts succumbed to another two in the dying moments. Svenja Huth’s fourth of the season thrashed into the roof of the net before Anna Gasper added a stoppage-time fifth after outmuscling Tóth, her low drive beyond Pauels.

VfL Wolfsburg 1-0 MSV Duisburg

Having seen an upturn of fortunes in recent weeks, MSV slipped back to another loss by a lone goal, the result at the league leaders one they’ll surely take heart from. The decisive moment just eighteen minutes in when Anna Blässe’s chipped ball forward dropped perfectly for Pernille Harder.

Chesting the ball down, Harder pivoted away from her marker before firing low into the far corner, taking her taking her total league goals to 14, as well as her ensuring she’s scored in five of her six outings for Wolfsburg so far in 2018.

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