On the 20th matchday, the top 4 of the women’s Bundesliga meet. It’s not just about important points in the championship, but also about the international places. Preliminary decisions could also be made in the relegation battle.
Bayern Munich – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Friday, 7.15 p.m.)
The rumor mill is churning: Can Bayern really do it, Chelsea’s top stars? Pernille Harder and Magdalena Ericsson to lure into the women’s Bundesliga? It would be a real transfer coup. And after Georgia Stanway the second time that the Munich club in the English Women’s Super League would strike. For Pernille Harder if it were a return, she was already on the pitch for Wolfsburg from 2017 to 2020.
So while Bayern want to defend their lead in the table on Friday evening, Hoffenheim is still fighting for it in a long-distance duel with Frankfurt Champions League-Qualification. However, TSG coach Stephan Lerch seems to be taking it easy. “If we end up fourth, that’s no big deal.”Lerch is relaxed in the run-up to the game.
Turbine Potsdam – Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday, 1 p.m.)
For Leverkusen it’s about nothing on Saturday, they’re too stuck in no man’s land in the table. And to be honest, that also applies to Turbine Potsdam. Because even if the traditional club gains a few points on the non-relegation zone by beating Bayer, Bayern and Frankfurt are still waiting for Marco Gebhardt’s team in the two remaining games. The descent seems almost certain.
Turbine won six German championship titles, twice they got them Champions League. It would be a relegation that national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg would also very much regret. “I hope that they have the energy, also the desire and the willingness to get back to the top.”she told the dpa news agency.
MSV Duisburg – SC Freiburg (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Duisburg is also in the middle of a relegation battle, only two points separate the promoted team from the Ruhr area from returning to the 2nd Bundesliga. The first leg went 4-1 to Freiburg last December, when captain Yvonne Zielinski scored the consolation goal for MSV.
The midfielder has played for the “Zebras” since she was young – with a stopover in Cologne – and has scored 14 times in the Bundesliga so far, four of them this season. This makes her the most successful shooter in Duisburg. Incidentally, the 33-year-old also works as a personal trainer.
Eintracht Frankfurt – VfL Wolfsburg (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Of course, Alex Popp can only laugh about 14 Bundesliga goals. In this season alone, the international has already scored 15 times. With Frankfurt, however, a tough chunk awaits Wolfsburg. Because Eintracht wants to defend their third place in the table. The “wolves” also have to win if they still want to have a chance at the championship.
SGE trainer Niko Arnautis sees his team as an underdog. And the numbers prove him right: It’s been almost ten years since Frankfurt last beat Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. On the other hand, Frankfurt hasn’t lost at home for what feels like an eternity. The 16,000 fans who have already bought tickets for Sunday’s top game won’t make things any easier for Wolfsburg either.
Werder Bremen – SGS Essen (Sunday, 4 p.m.)
With a win against Bremen on Sunday afternoon, Essen could make it clear to stay up in the league. If Potsdam were relegated, the club would be the only all-women club in the Bundesliga next season. A development that can no longer be stopped.
Nevertheless, the SGS has established itself as a training association. It was only on Thursday that she announced the commitment of Lilli Purtscheller, 19-year-old national player from Austria, who will join her colleague Valentina Kröll in Essen from next season.
1. FC Cologne – SV Meppen (Sunday, 4 p.m.)
It will be exciting on Sunday in Cologne, because there is a real duel against relegation. Both the Rhinelanders and Meppen are on the verge of the abyss. The difference: Meppen has to win if it still wants to keep a chance of staying up in the league. Because the rest of the program has it all. With Wolfsburg and Frankfurt, (almost) invincible opponents are waiting for the small club in Emsland.
By the way, fans should not expect many goals. In the last three matches between Cologne and Meppen there was only one goal – by Vildan Kardesler, who is now out with a meniscus injury.