The first day of the Bundesliga season 2022/2023 was opened by Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich in front of 23,200 spectators – a record! In Meppen vs. Freiburg, the only two head coaches in the league meet right at the start. Everything else about the games of the first match day of the women’s Bundesliga.
VfL Wolfsburg – SGS Essen (Saturday, 1 p.m.)
There was some unrest in the run-up to the game. Wolfsburg national player Alexandra Popp wished in the “kicker” podcast “FE: male view on football” Greater commitment from the licensed clubs. That would make it difficult for clubs like SGS or Turbine Potsdam, says Popp, but the question is where women’s football wants to go.
Essen’s coach Markus Högner was too one-sided: “You can see that men’s clubs are trying to invest more in women’s football. But it’s not like that’s where the dream world comes from. If I look at the attendance figures, as a purely women’s club we’ve always been in the top third.”so Högner to the “kicker”.
For Essen, who are also fighting against relegation this season, there could hardly be a more difficult start than away from the new favorites for the title. The reigning champions won both of last season’s clashes 5-1.
1. FC Cologne – TSG Hoffenheim (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
FC Köln has only won once against Hoffenheim and that was four and a half years ago. But the games were very close last season, in the second half of the season the Cologne team managed to draw 1-1 after falling behind.
A balanced game is to be expected this time as well, provided FC manages to tactically slow down TSG’s offensive again. On the other hand, the guests could counter with a new signing, Hoffenheim secured the services of Julia Hickelsberger-Füller before the European Championship in England, who drew attention to Austria’s right flank at the European Championship.
SV Meppen – SC Freiburg (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
The only two head coaches in the league meet with their teams on the first day of the game. SV Meppen managed to get promoted under Theodoros Dedes, and the women from Meppen put up the best defense in the 2nd Bundesliga. For the ascent, it should judge the offensive.
The new coach Carin Bakhuis has clear ideas and is not afraid to state them openly: “It’s important to me that we have a lot of possession, if possible more than our opponents. I’m also convinced that early pressing will lead to success. I realize that this is unusual for a team that came out of the second half. Bundesliga is coming, but I’ve found that the best way to achieve your goals is to be brave and attacking, so that’s how we’re going to approach it.”
Meppen’s new coach Carin Bakhuis
SC Freiburg also usually rely on their own strength when playing with the ball, but in the cup game against second division Andernach, Theresa Merk’s team needed biting. Andernach disrupted the Freiburg game and the SC only progressed a round in extra time.
MSV Duisburg – Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Sunday, 4 p.m.)
In the duel between the two western clubs, the goals could hardly be more different: while MSV Duisburg is fighting for every point in the relegation battle, Leverkusen are looking at the upper ranks of the table. New signing Ivana Fuso made her ambitions clear: “I’d like to finish in the top three. I’m not here to play for fifth, sixth or seventh place. I know that’s ambitious. But we have the quality in the squad.”
SV Werder Bremen – Turbine Potsdam (Sunday, 4 p.m.)
Bremen coach Thomas Horsch struggled with his team’s chances after the DFB Cup game against Henstedt-Ulzburg last weekend. This topic has accompanied the Bremen women since last season. Another striker was not signed in the summer, instead the newcomers Saskia Matheis (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Lena Triendl (SC Sand) should create danger on the wings.
Turbine Potsdam has to cope with a huge upheaval, how difficult the season will be, the new coach Sebastian Middeke is also aware that the fourth-placed last year is primarily about securing the league quickly.