Bayern Come Back In Crucial Victory | OneFootball

Following their win away to Leipzig last week, head Coach Alexander Straus made two changes with Tuva Hansen replacing Magdalena Eriksson who missed the game through illness, and Damnjanović replacing Schüller in attack. New midfielder signing, Arianna Caruso, made the bench for the first time.

This article written by Matthew Coates

The Bayern XI was as follows:

Ena Mahmutovic (GK) – Giulia Gwinn, Glódís Viggósdóttir (c), Tuva Hansen, Carolin Simon – Julia Zigiotti, Sydney Lohmann – Klara Bühl, Linda Dallmann, Pernille Harder, Jovana Damnjanović

Bayern started the day in second place in the Frauen Bundesliga, level on points with Frankfurt who are yet to play. With a win in this Fixture, Bayern would apply some pressure on that Frankfurt game, and start to put together a winning feeling.

Hoffenheim began the game in sixth place, and a win would have only taken them as high as fifth, six points behind Bayer Leverkusen.

Open First Half

The site of Bayern’s title lift last year brought back happy memories, but Hoffenheim were determined from kick-off to make Bayern prove they were champion-material. Their high and intense pressing put Bayern under considerable pressure. Hardworking Damnjanović was called into some defensive work often and as a result took a limb to the face, causing some concern for the Serbian striker. Luckily, she was able to continue.

Bayern’s first chance came in the sixth minute after escaping from Hoffenheim’s press.  A deep cross from Simon toward the box met the boot of an onrushing Linda Dallman, but she could not redirect the effort on Laura Dick’s goal.

Moments later, Damnjanović made a run down the right-hand side and crossed it toward the near post, where Gwinn was there but unfortunately blazed over the bar. Bayern were determined to open the scoring early, but Hoffenheim were beginning to cause a few problems.

In the eleventh minute, a long ball from Lohmann was chased down by Bühl, but her first touch was heavy and Dick could gather comfortably. Bayern’s next chance came in the 15th minute after Dallman robbed a defender in their own box and laid it off for Gwinn to strike, but it looped well over the bar.

The first effort on target in the match came from Hoffenheim’s first proper attack (22nd minute) where a headed clearance dropped for Julia Hickelsberger, and she took a touch and volleyed it powerfully forcing Mahmutovic into an incredible save: she parried it onto the crossbar, and Viggósdóttir was able to clear the rebound from danger.

Hoffenheim’s next chance was unfortunately decisive. A poor pass from Simon led to a quick counter, and the ball was laid off for Dominika Grabowska to strike into the top corner – nothing Mahmutovic could do to stop that one, 1-0.

In the 34th minute though, Bayern responded with a moment of considerable quality. Gwinn found herself in the centre of the pitch, and lofted a ball into Harder, who delicately nodded it into the path of Bühl. She expertly controlled it on her knee, swiveled and volleyed past Laura Dick into the bottom corner, 1-1. A moment of quality from a player with heaps of it.

Bayern could have fallen behind moments later, where a defensive miscommunication from Tuva Hansen meant that former Bayern player Selina Cerci was free and 1-v-1 with Mahmutovic. She could have taken her time and shot on goal, but luckily she snapped at the shot and smashed it wide – a let off for her former club.

In the final ten minutes of the first half, Bayern and Hoffenheim traded a number of half chances, without any clear efforts on goal. Bayern continued to look the more dominant as expected, but Hoffenheim were well set-up and looked likely to continue to cause Bayern problems in the second half. Straus did not look pleased on the touchline, so changes were expected early in the second half.

Decisive Second Half

Bayern rarely make changes at half-time, but Straus clearly felt that one was necessary, with Dallman being replaced by young Alara Şehitler.

Hoffenheim began the restart the better of the two teams, with Bayern struggling to play out consistently from the back. As a result of some frustration, Damnjanovic was booked in the 51st minute.

Bayern’s first chance in the second half came from a dangerous cross from Bühl toward Damnjanovic, who’s subsequent shot was blocked. She then crossed it back to Bühl, whose shot was also blocked. A couple of quickfire efforts that caused some panic in the Hoffenheim defence. Bühl had another effort of her own moments later, after a pinpoint cross from Harder, but her header was saved after a good reaction from Laura Dick.

Bayern were clearly desperate for their second goal, which occasionally led to chances on the counter for Hoffenheim. Half-time substitute Melissa Kössler produced a number of dangerous efforts on Bayern’s goal, but luckily Mahmutovic was equal to them each time.

In the 64th minute, Straus looked to change things again, with Schüller and Zadrazil replacing Damnjanovic and Zigiotti. Zadrazil was making her return from the injury she suffered in Bayern’s winter training camp, and was immediately tasked with regaining control of the game, a difficult task in any situation. Luckily for Bayern, Zadrazil was more than up for the task. Other than a few choice moments, Hoffenheim struggled to create attacks after Zadrazil had come on, and that is surely unlikely to be a coincidence.

Schüller was also immediately involved, laying off for Bühl to strike but the effort was saved once again by Laura Dick, who was proving to be a bit of a wall to score past. Dick was called into action again after an excellent pass from Bühl and some equally impressive quick feet from Gwinn, but the shot from the right back’s weaker foot was comfortably collected.

Bayern were certainly knocking on the door, louder and louder as time went on. Bühl was electric on the left wing, and whipped a dangerous low cross into the box. It looked certain that Schüller would strike first time, but she cleverly left it and it trickled into the path of half-time substitute Şehitler, who was able to place it brilliantly into the opposing side-netting for the breakthrough in the 71st minute, 1-2.

Bayern did not rest on their laurels, and forced Laura Dick into another wonderful save. Harder fed the ball into Bühl, who was consistently bullying her defender by this point, and she chopped back onto her favoured right boot and struck toward the top corner. It looked like a certain goal, but Dick scrambled and dived, leaving Bühl in disbelief.

Harder, who by her own exceptional standards was having a quiet game, had her first clear opportunity in the 76th minute, but her turn and hit from a Simon cross wasn’t hit with conviction meaning it sailed over the bar.

Hoffenheim hadn’t given up attempting to cause an upset, and if not for an incredible bit of defending in the 80th minute by Viggosdóttir following a defensive scramble, Bayern could have been pegged back to 2-2. They were desperate to prevent that from happening, and continued to fight for that third goal.

Harder was starting to become more involved in attacking moved, and after some lovely work by her on the touchline, she managed to feed Simon at the near post, but she also snatched at the shot and sent it well wide.

Simon didn’t let her head drop and continued firing balls into the forwards, as she had done for most of the second half, and the recipient of the best ball was Schüller. She managed to get there first against the odds ahead of Laura Dick, and her audacious control around the keeper unfortunately continued and rolled narrowly wide of the post before Schüller could convert. A huge let off for Hoffenheim.

In the final moments of regulation time however, Bayern would get their reward for their fight and desire. Some lovely work by Gwinn and Şehitler on the right-side resulted in a ball forward for Schüller to run onto. She took a couple of strides forward, and sent a beautiful low cross into the box, and Harder was able to slot home from close range, 1-3.

In added time, two players received their debuts for Bayern: Tanikawa and Caruso replaced Harder and Lohmann.

Decisive games on the Horizon

On a weekend where title rivals Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen both drop points, an away win to a tricky Hoffenheim cannot be taken for granted, especially when going 1-0 down. To come back showing the fight and hunger to win that they did suggests that Bayern are more than capable of fighting for trophies on multiple fronts until the end of the season. Hoffenheim were physical and intense, and Bayern were able to respond and produce a much-needed win. Bayern now sit five points clear of Leverkusen and three clear of Wolfsburg and Frankfurt, but obviously the latter have a game in hand.

I thought the Zadrazil substitution really allowed Bayern to enact the game plan that Straus had in mind. Despite it being her first appearance since her injury in January, she dominated the midfield and looked to play forward when possible. Her control of the game meant that the more attacking players such as Şehitler and Bühl were more involved, which ended up being the key to victory. It was pleasing to see the double debut for Tanikawa and Caruso today, as presumably they will be more involved in the matches to come.With a quarter final in the Pokal to come, as well as in Europe against Lyon, Bayern will have to show their best if they want to achieve their goals. Next up, Bayern play the aforementioned Pokal game at home against Frankfurt on Wednesday 12th February.