Third Consecutive League Title Secured | OneFootball

It was recently announced that Head Coach Alexander Straus will depart the club come the end of the season. So, in one of his final Bayern starting XI’s, he made one change from the decisive win away to Eintracht Frankfurt, replacing Alara with Caruso in midfield in order to push Lohmann further forward.

This article written by Matthew Coates

The Bayern XI was as follows:

Ena Mahmutovic (GK) – Giulia Gwinn, Tuva Hansen, Magdalena Eriksson, Carolin Simon – Sarah Zadrazil (c), Arianna Caruso – Sydney Lohmann, Klara Bühl, Pernille Harder, Lea Schüller

Bayern knew that with a win in this match, they would be able to claim the Meisterschale for a third consecutive year in a row. Freiburg were the toughest match of the season remaining in the league, but Bayern were determined to wrap it up today, before the Pokal Final next Thursday.

Well-fought First Half

Freiburg caused Bayern a lot of problems in the reverse fixture earlier this season, so they certainly knew they would not roll over in Bayern’s attempt to celebrate the title with two games to spare. Both teams struggled to create clear chances, cautious to open the game up, preferring to limit opportunities for their opponents than to try to score.

It took until the twelfth minute for Bayern’s first shot on target, but even then, it came from a Freiburg error. The keeper, Borggräfe, made a poor pass out from the back which bounced off a defender into the path of Lohmann. She rushed the shot and hit it straight at the keeper, so no damage was inflicted.

Bayern looked more dangerous on set pieces than from open play, which isn’t entirely surprising when you have the quality in delivery from Bühl or Simon. In the 21st minute, a freekick on the left hand side was curled into the box by Simon, and Harder headed it toward goal. It deflected off Schüller’s chest into the near post past Borggräfe, 1-0. The Bayern campus was raucous, as if the result stood, Bayern would be crowned champions.

Freiburg, left unphased by the goal, used the atmosphere as motivation. Spectacular young talent, and recently announced Wolfsburg signing Cora Zicai caused problems for Bayern’s defence all afternoon, and her first effort on goal was a speculative one from the left side in the 23rd minute. Mahmutovic was equal to it, and made a comfortable save.

Zicai was involved yet again in the 28th minute, as this time on the right side she crossed it into the box beautifully into Fölmli, but her header flashed narrowly wide of the post.

This didn’t seem to affect her whatsoever when her next chance came, as Felde drove forward less than a minute later onto the edge of the penalty area, and poked a ball into the Swiss forward. This time, she took a touch and finished well into the bottom corner, 1-1. Nothing Mahmutovic could have done about that one.

Freiburg continued to frustrate and almost went ahead, if not for some spectacular and determined defending by Hansen 1-on-1 against Fölmli in the 39th minute.

Both sides were equal in possession, and Bayern would have to show a better face in the second half to ensure the title with two games left to go.

Passionate Second Half

The second half started in a similar vein to how the first ended, with both teams struggling to create clear opportunities. Bayern had a very early shout for a penalty waved away by the referee after Schüller was fouled, but nothing was given.

Bayern were however showing more passion and desire than in the first half, and they started to rack up some chances. In the 53rd minute, some excellent work by Bühl down the left hand side and produced a great cross to the back post, where Schüller was there to acrobatically attempt to hook it back into the middle. Lohmann was the nearest Bayern attacker to it, but it was cleared by Freiburg.

Five minutes later, Gwinn crossed in space on the right into the centre of the box, and it was narrowly missed by Schüller’s head. As a result, it continued and struck a defender that was being pressed by Harder. Her miscontrol cushioned the ball for Harder to strike, but her effort was straight at Borggräfe, and was saved.

Bayern were starting to build some attacking momentum, and Straus brought on Damnjanović for Caruso in the 59th minute to emphasise that.

The pressure on that Freiburg defence was starting to cause problems, and that was ideal for Bayern. From a corner in the 67th minute, Bühl crossed it to the back post where Harder was there to head it down past Borggräfe and into the net, 2-1! After all of Freiburg’s determined defending up to that point, it was all undone by leaving a player of Harder’s considerable quality in acres of space from a set piece.

In the 75th minute, Straus made a further two changes, with Schüller and Simon being replaced by Dallmann and Glódís. The captain received the armband from Zadrazil, and was welcomed back with enthusiasm from the home crowd.

Glódís would prove to be an inspired substitution and repay the crowd’s jubilation tenfold moments later. In the 79th minute, from yet another Bühl corner, Glódís reacted first and poked it into the 6 yard box. It was headed clear by a defender, but only back toward the Captain, who powerfully headed it down past Borggräfe for 3-1!

Bühl, who was sensational all afternoon, almost put the game out of sight with a spectacular solo effort from just inside the box that lashed against the crossbar.

She was replaced minutes later, presumably to save some of that energy for the upcoming Pokal Final on Thursday. Zadrazil, another likely starter in that Final was also replaced, with both Zigiotti and young Kett coming on in their place.

In the final moments of the match, the Bayern fan’s almost had a fourth goal through Damnjanović, but Dallmann who had passed it to her had strayed offside.

When the final whistle blew, Bayern staff and players ran onto the pitch to celebrate a well-deserved title win, at the start of a potentially joyous week.

Pokal Final awaits

After securing their second title of the season, following the DFL Supercup win against Wolfsburg before the season started, Bayern’s attention will immediately turn to the Pokal Final.

After losing in convincing fashion against the Queens of the Cup, Wolfsburg, Bayern now have a chance for a first ever domestic double in the club’s history(or treble). An opportunity that Straus will not want to miss out on, considering it is one of his last matches in charge of the club.

Bayern have put themselves in a great position to end the season successfully and full of medals, but that means little if they are not secured. The major and most honest title, the league, has been secured. But it would mean a lot to all of the players and the staff to win the Cup as well.

History beckons for this side, and we will be watching and supporting this Thursday in Köln against Werder Bremen.