Turbine Potsdam has benefited from the defeats of their direct competition in the women’s Bundesliga and has climbed to a place in the Champions League.
Five games before the end of the season, Turbine coach Sofian Chahed’s team is in third place after the 2-0 (0-0) win against SC Sand with 36 points, two points ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt (2: 4 in Munich) and already five to TSG Hoffenheim (0:3 in Wolfsburg). Melissa Kössler (52nd minute) and Sara Holmgaard (82nd) scored the Potsdam goals against Württemberg, who were still fighting relegation.
In front of 1093 spectators in the Karl Liebknecht Stadium, Turbine struggled for a long time against the penultimate team. The hostesses hardly had any dangerous scoring chances before the break against the solid defense team. Dina Orschmann had the best opportunity in the first section. But her header sent goalkeeper Sarah-Lisa Duebel over the crossbar with her fingertips (28′).
Turbine had bad luck when referee Anna-Lena Heidenreich decided on a free kick shortly before the end of the first half after a foul by Duebel on Sara Agrez on the edge of the penalty area instead of a penalty, as the TV pictures showed (45′).
Duebel was also the focus of Potsdam’s opening goal, when she shot the rushing Kössler and the ball tumbled over the goal line to make it 1-0. Turbine continued to dominate the game afterwards, but it wasn’t until the closing stages before substitute Holmgaard made it 2-0.