With the league’s second round of fixtures in four days, it was the Bavarians who gave their goal difference the biggest boost with a hearty win over ‘Gladbach as Essen hit Leverkusen for five and Hoffenheim put four of the best past Sand. Elsewhere, Duisburg bounced back from their loss over the weekend to leave Frankfurt with a point as Potsdam stuck late to put an end to Wolfsburg’s perfect record and Freiburg left Bremen with three points.
Werder Bremen 0-3 SC Freiburg
Having returned to full fitness this season, Sandra Starke almost seems to be making up for lost time with Freiburg, the attacker having claimed her fourth goal of the season in the 12 minute to set the Sport Club on their way in Bremen. Having had chances to score, Werder failed to capitalise and were left on the ropes after Clara Schöne nodded Klara Bühl’s inswung corner over Anneke Borbe just after the hour. With the three points safe, Freiburg finished the match with a flourish as Jobina Lahr added a third in stoppage time, firing home a rebound.
Bayern München 9-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Having started the season at a hundred miles an hour, the Bavarians have considerably slowed down but against the league’s weakest team, Bayern got back to their ruthless best, punishing the sloppy ‘Gladbach defence time and again. Off of the mark ten minutes in when Jovana Damnjanović connected with Sara Däbritz’s pass, the second flew in two minutes later when Sydney Lohmann nodded Däbritz’s cross over Lisa Venrath. With a hand in the first two goals, the in-form attacker fired in her first of the evening, picking up her own rebound for the third before then setting Jill Roord up to make it four.
Four became five two minutes later when Lohmann set Däbritz on her way for her second, the home fans didn’t have to wait more than three minutes for the sixth as Damnjanović completed her brace with Däbritz making it seven just before the break. More sedate after the break, the hosts found another two late goals to equal the biggest margin of victory this season. First, Lina Magull nodded Verena Schweers’ cross in before the young attacker set up fellow substitute Mandy Islacker just two minutes later for the ninth and final goal of the match.
FFC Frankfurt 0-0 MSV Duisburg
Reeling from a home drubbing by Potsdam over the weekend, the Zebras showed far more defensive stability as they kept Frankfurt at bay at the Brentanobad. Not having much trouble scoring this season, Frankfurt lacked a clinical edge, the match stilted save for two late efforts. After Claire O'Riordan saw her 88 minute header cleared off the line at a corner, Shekiera Martinez went one better at the other end and clipped the bar with her snapshot, leaving the two sides scoreless at the whistle.
TSG Hoffenheim 4-0 SC Sand
Scoring her first goal for Hoffenheim’s first team, Jana Beuschlein got the hosts underway against Sand, picking up a loose ball and curling it across Carina Schlüter’s goal to find the back of the net. Knocking at the door but unable to find a cushion until after the break, Anne Fühner’s near post finish left no room for a Sand comeback, a third goal from the hosts three minutes later the knock-out blow. Maximiliane Rall’s dipping effort from 18-yards added to 15 minutes from time by the lively Beuschlein after a one-two with Rall.
Turbine Potsdam 1-1 VfL Wolfsburg
Having had a slice of luck over the weekend to help them see off Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg continued to look a little off of their usual pace, struggling to find the right fluency in the final third. Up against a well enough regimented Potsdam team that weren’t scared of attacking their opposition, the Wolves went in at the break in a position they’ve only found themselves in two times before this season, without a goal to show for the first 45 minutes.
Ramping the pressure up after the break, the visitors finally broke the deadlock after the hour when Johanna Elsig’s attempted clearance cannoned off of Ewa Pajor, the Pole first to get to the rebound, shrugging off Bianca Schmidt before firing over Vanessa Fischer. The goal enough to calm the nerves for the visitors and keep Pajor’s perfect record for the season, the 22-year-old having scored at least one goal in each of her eight league appearances this season. With the game becoming more and more stretched as the clock ticked down, the hosts dug out an equaliser when substitute Viktoria Schwalm took the ball on the half-volley to find the top right corner from outside the box.
Unable to find a crucial goal, the champions were resigned to their first draw of the season, dropping their first points of the campaign right at the halfway point.
SGS Essen 5-0 Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Far from having an easy time of it on their return to the top flight, Leverkusen’s week went from bad to worse when they faced SGS in Essen, the team reduced to ten just eight seconds into the match after Ann-Kathrin Vinken was shown a straight red for denial of a clear goal scoring opportunity. With a numerical advantage against a struggling team, Essen continued to show their own issues on the pitch, the hosts not able to break the deadlock until after the half hour when Lena Oberdorf slotted the ball home. Having bagged a hat trick on Sunday, Oberdorf was clearly in fine form, adding a second moments into the second half, connecting with Jule Dallmann’s cross to lash the ball into the roof of the net.
Two became three 12 minutes later when Lea Schüller nodded Manjou Wilde’s dinked pass in at the near post. A one-two knock-out after the 70 minute enough to boost Essen’s goal difference as first Marina Hegering nodded Wilde’s corner in seconds before Sarah Freutel fired the ball over Anna Klink for the fifth.
