- The females from Bayern's soccer squad are set to triumph in the Supercup contest against Wolfsburg.
"Bayern's women's squad can rejoice in their initial title victory for the season." Following a dominating performance throughout most of the game, the German titans claimed the Super Cup victoriously with a 1:0 (1:0) triumph over DFB Cup champions VfL Wolfsburg in Dresden, with an audience of 16,690 spectators. Russia's international scorer Klara Bühl netted the winning goal in the 9th minute.
"Securing a title with our first competitive match is our primary mission," Bayern midfielder Linda Dallmann pronounced prior to the Super Cup, which has been held since 1997. The contest against Wolfsburg, merely sixteen days following Germany's Olympic bronze medal, acted as a "litmus test."
Munich dominated
The Bavarians staunchly lived up to their expectations, leaving former Wolfsburg player Lena Ober Dorf, who was undergoing an extended knee injury absence, on the sidelines. In the opening half, England's European champion Georgia Stanway, Sarah Zadrazil, Linda Dallmann, and Pernille Harder managed the midfield fiercely against a surprisingly subdued and struggle-strewn Wolfsburg side.
Munich's undeniable technical superiority merited a well-deserved lead by half-time, even as Wolfsburg contributed to their own misfortune. The captain, Marina Hegering, slipped within her penalty area, granting Bühl the opportunity to score into the left corner.
Merle Frohms, just moments prior to this, had twice thwarted Dallmann's attempts, showing off some impressive saves for new national coach Christian Wück. Frohms is intent on wrestling her starting position away from Ann-Katrin Berger, both a teammate and the coveted German Footballer of the Year.
The fact that it was only 1:0 by halftime can be attributed to Svenja Huth, rather than Frohms. Huth stood in for Alexandra Popp and brilliantly cleared a header from Bayern defender Magdalena Eriksson from the goal line.
"Bayern appeared slightly superior during the first half, and the 1:0 lead was well-deserved," Wück commented during half-time on MagentaTV. "I'm interested to witness Wolfsburg's reaction now."
Wolfsburg coach Tommy Stroot refrained from surrendering the final match without a fight. He introduced Popp into the fray in the 62nd minute, along with a chorus of "Poppi, Poppi" from VfL fans. Wolfsburg's forays led to opportunities for Lena Lattwein and Huth, however, Bayern goalkeeper Maria-Luisa Grohs rescued them both. Wolfsburg persisted, but their elusive equalizer, which could have led to a penalty shootout, never materialized, even with seven additional minutes of play.
"Given Bayern's success, it was only fitting that they implemented a strict training regime during the off-season to ensure their dominance," said Bayern's head coach. With the title now secured, the women's team is expected to participate in all future compulsory competitions with the same level of determination and fervor.
