Status: 09/16/2022 4:49 p.m
Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich open the Bundesliga season on Friday (September 16, 2022, 7:15 p.m.) – a highlight right at the start, especially since the game will be played in the large Frankfurt stadium. We look at the most important topics before the new season.
Who plays for championship and cup?
Double winners VfL Wolfsburg are going into the season as favourites. The “wolves” have wisely strengthened: Top talent Jule Brand came from TSG Hoffenheim, the Slovenian international Sara Agrež from Turbine Potsdam is another option for defense, as is Marina Hegering, who is to switch to the coaching staff after her playing career.
The nominally most important change was made in goal: Almuth Schult said goodbye to Angel City FC in the USA in the National Womens Soccer League, and Merle Frohms from Frankfurt came in for her. A logical change for the subscription champions of recent years, as Frohms also replaced Schult as number one in the national team.
The biggest German competition comes from Munich. After a change of coach at the end of last season, FC Bayern are all set to attack, and the transfer of European champion Georgia Stanway to the Isar is a clear signal. The new coach Alexander Straus would like to play a dominant ball possession football. The Norwegian managed to do that impressively at his previous club SK Brann (formerly Sandviken TF).
Who is playing for third place?
There is a crowd behind the two top teams: Last season, Eintracht Frankfurt beat Turbine Potsdam and TSG Hoffenheim in the battle for third place. Eintracht failed in qualifying at Ajax Amsterdam. Eintracht is a hot contender for third place again this year, coach Niko Arnautis has a highly talented squad around national player Laura Freigang.
Behind them, Bayer Leverkusen and, as a surprise, 1. FC Köln could get involved in the race for third place. In Leverkusen, the professionalization of the structures should be worked on. Achim Feifel, for example, switched from the coaching bench to the newly created post of sports director, and the company’s own youth work is also to be improved.
With an experienced squad, 1. FC Köln was able to look at the relegation battle quite relaxed last season. The basic structure of the squad remained intact, and FC also made two exclamation marks with the additions of Sarah Puntigam (Montpellier HSC) and Selina Cerci (Turbine Potsdam). Great hopes are pinned on 22-year-old Cerci in particular, although the unerring attacker (13 goals in 14 games last season) is still recovering from a cruciate ligament rupture.
It will be difficult for Turbine Potsdam, who came fourth last year: The past few months have been restless, and coach Sofian Chahed’s contract was extended in winter. After losing the cup final, Chahed was then released, players later said anonymously that there had been “interpersonal and communicative” discrepancies between the ex-coach and the team for a long time.
In the summer, 14 players left the club, including many regulars. In addition to the new coach Sebastian Middeke, 16 new players came to the turbine.
What happens in the relegation battle?
The two newly promoted teams MSV Duisburg and SV Meppen will find it difficult to keep up the class. The direct competition in the relegation battle comes from Essen, Bremen and possibly also from Potsdam.
Meppen’s new coach Carin Bakhuis has already announced that she wants to play offensively despite being an outsider. The offensive is also an issue at Werder Bremen. Bremen managed to score 18 points last season with only nine goals of their own.
Who’s new on the sidelines?
In addition to Straus at Bayern Munich, Robert de Pauw (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Carin Bakhuis (SV Meppen) and Middeke (Turbine Potsdam) and Theresa Merk (SC Freiburg) are new to the league. The latter is particularly exciting: the former assistant coach at VfL Wolfsburg recently reached the semi-finals of the Swiss championship and the cup final with Grasshopper Club Zurich.
De Pauw and Bakhuis know each other well from the Netherlands, where they worked together as coaches and assistant coaches at Twente Enschede last season and won the championship together.
What were the most important transfers?
The most prominent transfer of the summer is that of European champion Georgia Stanway to FC Bayern Munich. In addition, Emelyne Laurent moved from Olympique Lyon to Munich.
European champion Georgia Stanway is under contract with the Bayern women.
Image: IMAGO/Claire Jeffrey / SPP
In Frankfurt, after Merle Frohms’ departure, it will be exciting to see who will be the new number one in goal. Stina Johannes came to Japan from SGS Essen after a temporary loan, but is prone to injury. Cara Bösl and junior keeper Hannah Johann are also available.
In addition to Stanway, there are two other newcomers from the League of European Champions, both from Manchester United. Bayer Leverkusen have loaned out the Brazilian Ivana Ferreira Fuso for a year and SGS Essen gave Maria Edwards a two-year contract. The young striker drew attention to herself in preparation. There is an unexpected return in Duisburg, where Sarah Freutel is lacing up her shoes again for MSV three years after her career ended.
Source: sportschau.de