Before Alexander Straus could know how one of his most important working days of the year would end, he wanted to make one thing clear. He said he only really looks at tables when there are only three games left in a season. It remained unclear whether the coach of the FC Bayern footballers actually handled it that way or meant the statement in a figurative sense, a bit flirtatious given the ranking in the Bundesliga. But it can now be assumed that Straus has made an exception to his rule – and that he really enjoys looking at the table.
Since Saturday, his team has been seven points ahead of VfL Wolfsburg after the 4-0 (0-0) win against their long-term rivals. Seven points. With five Bundesliga matchdays still remaining. What else could go wrong in the mission to defend your title? Straus could object: Well, a lot can still happen! That’s correct. But even VfL coach Tommy Stroot no longer expects this: “I think it’s very, very unrealistic that Bayern will let this be taken away. I’m that honest.” And he, in turn, certainly didn’t flirt with this statement.
Wolfsburg had not lost a home game against FC Bayern since October 2008. Almost every series breaks at some point, but in a few years this case could represent more than just an ended series of successes, namely the fact that a new cycle has begun. So that the balance of power could actually shift from the north to the south after years of Wolfsburg dominance. That was also what this day was about. Although the result after goals from ex-Wolfsburg player Pernille Harder (48th minute), the German national players Klara Bühl (57th) and Lea Schüller (76th) as well as Georgia Stanway (87th) seems clearer than it corresponded to the entire game .
“The victory means a lot for us,” said Bayern coach Alexander Straus
The first half was still even. After the break, the Munich team completed their counterattacks efficiently. They sometimes overwhelmed their opponents with their speed, finesse and precision – which was also because VfL had to take more risks after conceding their first goal. For example, when Harder resisted the first impulse to finish with her right and instead irritated the defense by pulling the ball behind her supporting leg and then scoring with her left. Or when Bühl converted a corner directly.
That showed a great deal of self-confidence, which in turn was likely to have grown even more as a result of these moments in front of the 24,437 spectators in the Volkswagen Arena. In any case, Schüller stated: “If we don’t act stupid, we should get this done easily now.”
What does the defeat against FC Bayern mean for VfL Wolfsburg? Initial disappointment for Sveindis Jonsdottir (left) and DFB goalkeeper Merle Frohms (right).
(Photo: Oliver Hardt/Getty Images for DFB)
Alexander Straus and each of his players could see the enormous relief that these three points brought with them. Whether it was the immediate joy of an away win in this hard-fought duel that had prevailed for years or the realization that the championship was now almost certainly decided: that didn’t change the assessment itself. “The victory means a lot for us,” said the Norwegian, whose team has now been unbeaten in 34 league games across all seasons. Giulia Gwinn said on the TV microphone: “The 4-0 is very, very nice and extremely emotional at the moment,” and the situation felt “a little surreal.”
“We worked on a lot in the training camp,” says Giulia Gwinn
With this emotionality, she recalled a measure that may have been crucial to the current success. In December it didn’t exactly look as if the Munich team had good prospects for a successful season. They drew against Ajax Amsterdam in the group stage of the Champions League and in the league against relegation candidates 1. FC Nürnberg. They lost the second leg against Ajax. Uncertainty characterized the performance, Wolfsburg led the Bundesliga. But rehabilitation followed during the winter break. “We worked on a lot in the training camp, especially when it comes to communication,” Gwinn said on Saturday. “And you notice how one stands up for the other. How you try to help each other as best you can on the pitch.”
The structure then appeared more coherent, as if a few joints that were previously affected by blockages had been adjusted. That didn’t change the fact that Bayern (as well as Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL) were kicked out of the premier class. But while the Wolfsburg women lost three times in the league, including the direct duel, the Munich women didn’t make a mistake there and are now benefiting from this in the form of a thick cushion of points, which should soon bring them their fifth championship overall. “Now it’s time to continue in exactly this style,” said club president Herbert Hainer. “This is the path to successfully defending your title.”
Will this proud club have achieved an era of success in women’s football in a few years like VfL with two Champions League titles, seven championships and ten cup wins and will the current phase really represent a turning point? Maybe the talk will soon be quieter again – or louder: On Easter Sunday, FC Bayern will face Frankfurt in the cup semi-finals, and the day before Wolfsburg will play against SGS Essen. VfL and FCB could meet again in the final. The Munich women have won this competition once, in 2012 – the Wolfsburg women have won this competition continuously since 2015. The final in Cologne is like a home game for them.