At the end of the 13th Bundesliga matchday, the women of Bayer Leverkusen celebrated a narrow victory against promoted team 1. FC Nürnberg.
Coach Robert de Pauw’s team won 2-1 (1-0) on Monday evening and is sixth in the table after their fifth win of the season. Nuremberg remains in eleventh place in the relegation zone, two points behind the saving bank.
Leverkusen follows suit Initial problems in the lead
The initial phase belonged to the Nuremberg women. After a one-two, Amira Arfaoui (6th) shot from the edge of the penalty area, but shot past the goal on the right. Shortly afterwards, FCN came with a flat cross on the left side, in the middle Leverkusen’s Caroline Siems cleared it in front of Medina Desic, who was ready to shoot. Leverkusen became dangerous for the first time in a standard situation. After a free kick cross, Selina Ostermeier (18th) headed in to give Bayer the supposed lead, but the goal was disallowed due to offside.
Leverkusen was now in the game and took control. Skinnes Hansen (24th) headed just wide of the goal from a tight angle, and a shot from Kristin Kögel (27th) after a corner was cleared by Nuremberg’s Desic on the goal line. On the following corner, Leverkusen took the lead: Karólína Vilhjálmsdóttir crossed the ball sharply to the edge of the six-yard box, where Melissa Friedrich (28th) pushed the ball over the line with her head and back from close range.
Leverkusen continued to apply pressure and create chances, FCN keeper Krammer saved her team from falling behind with saves against Kögel (33′), Nikola Karczewska (34′) and Vilhjálmsdóttir (36′). At Nuremberg, after the good start, there was hardly anything going on the offensive.
Dream goal gives Nuremberg the equalizer
After the half-time break, Nuremberg quickly equalized. Selma Magnúsdóttir (48th) took courage and put the ball into the left corner from 25 meters. Leverkusen were not deterred by the goal they conceded, played forward in a controlled manner and took the lead again. A precise cross from the unchallenged Vilhjálmsdóttir from a half-right position found Emilie Bragstad (59′) in the middle, who hit the far corner with a header.
The teams then met at eye level. Leverkusen were lucky when a header from Nuremberg’s Desic (71′) hit the right inside post. In the final phase, when Nuremberg pressed for an equalizer, Bayer was lucky again. A slipped cross from Nuremberg’s Nele Bauereisen (82′) went down towards a long corner, Leverkusen’s keeper Friederike Repohl directed the ball onto the crossbar with her fingertips.
Leverkusen continues on Sunday (2 p.m.) with a home game against TSG Hoffenheim. Nuremberg welcomes VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday (12 p.m.).
