What the 1. FFC Frankfurt has never achieved in its glorious history marked by titles and trophies, the footballers of Eintracht Frankfurt have achieved for the first time: competing in a sold-out stadium at the Brentanobad. 5,750 spectators in wonderful spring weather provided a worthy setting for the top game between Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich. After a high-class and extremely exciting top game, which the Munich women won 2-1, Georgia Stanway praised the “brilliant atmosphere” and once again explained how attractive the women’s Bundesliga was in many respects from her point of view. “That’s why I like playing in Germany,” said the England international in the FC Bayern jersey.
The strong running and fighting midfielder had long since showered at the back exit of the main stand. There is no room in Frankfurt-Rödelheim for either a mixed zone or a press conference. But despite this poor state of affairs, the players and coaches dutifully came to the door to present their analyses, which turned out to be at least as entertaining as the course of the game.
Bayern started well and took the lead through Klara Bühl after great preparatory work from Pernille Harder (21st minute). But then Eintracht dominated with a lot of passion, equalized through the joyful captain Laura Freigang after the best move of the game (67th), before Lea Schüller suddenly scored Munich’s winning goal with a header (77th).
Eintracht coach Niko Arnautis still insisted that he “was the better team for over 70 minutes,” snapped at a reporter who asked him about his late substitutions (“Get your coaching license and stand there!”), and recommended that the Bavarians “stop at a church on the way back and light a candle.” There was more than just contradiction from his counterpart Alexander Straus: The Munich team bus might stop at a fast food restaurant, but certainly not at a church, the Norwegian replied dryly and gave his agitated colleague the following tip: “It’s important to come down and relax to respect each other.”
Bayern have put VfL Wolfsburg under pressure
The Bayern coach does recognize the developmental steps Eintracht has made (“Sometimes people forget that there is a third team at international level in Germany alongside Bayern and Wolfsburg”). But firstly, his team could have scored two or three goals in the early stages, and secondly, it was a sign of quality “if we are 13 points away,” said Straus. After 15 match days, that’s actually how big the gap is to Eintracht, who are hoping for Champions League qualification and third place again, but have slipped to fourth place for the time being due to TSG Hoffenheim’s victory against 1. FC Nürnberg (2-0).
Bayern, on the other hand, have consolidated their first place and put VfL Wolfsburg under pressure against RB Leipzig (Monday, 7.30 p.m.) before the summit meeting between the two exceptional teams in Wolfsburg in two weeks. “Top teams win games when it counts. That’s where we simply have a huge shortcoming,” admitted the frustrated Freigang from Frankfurt, who admired the opponents’ “maturity and calmness.” She’s getting a little tired of just patting herself on the back after almost every game against Bayern or Wolfsburg: “We finally want to win these games.” Such words can be followed by actions in the DFB Cup semi-final on March 30th on the Bayern campus.
It’s actually a shame that the designated national coach Christian Wück didn’t stop by after his promotion within the DFB, which was announced the day before. On the one hand, he would have seen that exactly the two national players who scored the DFB women’s ticket to the Olympics in the Netherlands with their goals scored. But he would also have noticed that Sydney Lohmann, who was highly valued by Horst Hrubesch, came off the bench late again. It is said that the offensive player is thinking very carefully about whether to extend her expiring contract in Munich. She is said to have lucrative offers from England.