- Near miss in the operation of the Potsdam Turbine's assisting structure
The women's football squad of Turbine Potsdam didn't receive the expected surprise upon rejoining the Bundesliga. Despite this, a positive outlook persisted among the newly promoted team. "Great effort from my team in this game. That's the takeaway. It wasn't a catastrophe," said Turbine coach Marco Gebhardt after a 0:2 defeat in the initial game of the fresh season against defending champions Bayern Munich, following two corner kicks converted by the Swedish Linda Sembrant (22nd and 85th minute). Alongside him, coaching partner Dirk Heinrichs had effectively prepared the team for the champions.
Throughout the game, Bayern Munich mainly controlled play in Turbine's half and around the penalty area. Nevertheless, the resilient hosts held on until the final two set-pieces sealed their fate. "We basically napped," said injured player Viktoria Schwalm, who had contributed to the promotion with her last-minute goals in the previous season's finale.
Captain Jennifer Cramer also expressed frustration at failing to secure at least a point against the undisputed favorite. "Obviously, falling short due to two standard goals is annoying. But we can be content with our overall performance," she asserted. Turbine's president, Karsten Ritter-Lang, had previously stated before the season that they couldn't match up to Bayern Munich or VfL Wolfsburg and would need to scramble for points against other teams to stay afloat.
The Bundesliga will take a hiatus the following weekend, but Turbine has the derby against DFB Cup's regional league team Viktoria Berlin scheduled for September 8th. The two sides have previously clashed in the second round two years ago, with Turbine winning 3:2 on penalties. However, the season ultimately ended in relegation. Determined to produce a different outcome this time around, the higher-ranked team aims to secure a ticket to the Bundesliga with a favorable result.
Turbine Squad
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Despite the disappointing start, Turbine Potsdam's president, Karsten Ritter-Lang, remains hopeful for the rest of the season, stating that they need to focus on getting points against other teams. In the past, Turbine Potsdam faced Viktoria Berlin in the derby and managed to progress to the Bundesliga via a penalty shootout, despite eventually being relegated at the end of the season.
