Melanie Behringer was the architect as Bayern Munich struck three times at set-pieces to narrowly beat Freiburg at the Möslestadion.
Fast start
The Bavarians hit the ground running away from home, swarming the opposition’s half, their first chance coming in the first minute after some calm link-up play on the left with Nicole Rolser, Lisa Evans and Sara Däbritz. Rolser’s shot just inside of 60 seconds glanced wide but the defence easily taken apart.
Persistent away pressure telling as Munich took the lead less than five minutes from the start as Melanie Behringer’s deep free kick looped through the box before making it all the way through to slip past Laura Benkarth’s outstretched glove and into the back of the net.
The hosts were slow to settle, struggling to find anything in the way of possession much less penetration but they began to warm into the game in the ninth minute, Hasret Kayikci’s low effort from outside the area an easy enough claim for Manuela Zinsberger.
Another worked drive forward followed from the hosts but Lina Magull’s cross was always an easy claim for the ‘keeper, the hosts waking from their Winter slumber.
Still without a clean shot on target the home side had finally grown their legs in the game by the time the first-half reached the mid-way point, Zinsberger forced to be alert but yet to make a real save. Nora Holstad’s strong header to clear Carolin Simon’s whipped free kick typical of both; a half chance for the hosts but good work from the back three to keep their ‘keeper shielded.
Freiburg fight back
With the game having fully opened up it was just a matter of time before the second goal came, a dinked ball over the top for Giulia Gwinn looked to open the door but a fearless sweeping run from Zinsberger to power out of her box and head clear kept the hosts out.
Though there was little that could be done when Simon picked the ball up outside the area before sprinting in, making room for herself by selling Leonie Maier a dummy before striking low under the ‘keeper.
The tempo raised as parity was restored, both sides hungry to go into the break leading, Behringer’s 20-yard free kick the best chance six minutes before the pause as it curled over the wall before landing on the roof of the net.
Both continued to look dangerous at set pieces and the hosts really should have taken the lead just before the break as the ball was sent into a dangerous area from deep.
Despite Lena Petermann missing her header the ball continued to bounce and nip in the box, unable to get a clean shot away the red and black shirts massed desperately to trying to set each other up, Gwinn’s eventual effort skewed wide as the 17 year-old was left to hold her head in frustration.
Munich back on top
Just as they had taken the lead at the start of the first-half so they did four minutes into the second too, Behringer’s free kick put right on the nose for a leaping Vivianne Miedema to steer over Benkarth. Thankfully for the hosts it didn’t taken them as long to get going and once again the game opened up with both looking likely.
With plenty of fouls across the length of the pitch there always seemed to be a good chance from a set-piece with both sides routinely scrambling from dead-ball situations, the Bavarians undone just after the hour.
Another scrappy ball into the box from a set-play enough to leave both sides frantically trying to win the ball but the pendulum swung in favour of Freiburg as Petermann got her head to the aerial ball to nod it just inside of the near post.
From one goal at a corner to another as Munich took the lead for the third time in the game, Holstad unmarked as she met the ball in the air to thump her header past Benkarth, the host’s defence of set pieces indefensible.
With Freiburg doing their best not to shrink away in the last fifteen minutes, there was little option for Ines Appelmann but to point to the spot after Magull had her feet swept from under her by substitute Caroline Abbé. Already beaten twice in the game, Zinsberger refused to concede for a third time as she dove well to get a firm glove to Carolin Schiewe’s penalty.
Close final stages
The game began to slow into the last ten minutes, the ball still sent from one end of the pitch to the other but the chances of seeing another goal reduced by the second with Munich still looking to break from so-so set piece delivery and the home defence doing just about enough. A late knock to Gina Lewandowski dragged the match further as Miedema headed for the corner flag and time ran out for the hosts.
Never out of the game, Freiburg drifted in and out of looking dangerous, alternating between slumbering and kicking into gear, the biggest problem for the hosts was how often the majority in red and black on the pitch looked indifferent.
The first competitive match after the winter break more about blowing off the cobwebs for the home side but with far more in the tank than they showed on the pitch there’s an argument that they made it easy for their opposition.
Carolin Simon easily the best on the park for the hosts as she ran the channels well, working overtime at both ends of the pitch, her industry not echoed by her team mates although Lena Petermann did well to catch the eye of Steffi Jones in the stands.
Despite being unable to score from open play Die Rotten were good value for their win, the better side on the day, the visitors moved the ball with more ease around the pitch and looked well up for the match from the get-go. But again for the Bavarians it was just a one-goal game, their seventh win by a one goal margin of the season.