Bayern Beat Essen in Close Encounter

Following the international break, Bayern traveled to SGS Essen in Bundesliga play.

miasanrot

December 7, 2024

The Bayern XI was as follows:

Ena Mahmutovic (GK) – Giulia Gwinn, Glódís Viggósdóttir (c), Tuva Hansen, Carolin Simon – Julia Zigiotti, Georgia Stanway – Alara Şehitler, Pernille Harder, Klara Bühl, Lea Schüller

In League play, Bayern were four matches unbeaten (2W, 2D) since the loss against Wolfsburg, coming off a 5-0 win at home to Carl Zeiss Jena. Essen, on the other hand, were winless in four (1D, 3L) and slowly slipping down the table, in 9th before today’s match.

Dominant First Half

Bayern dominated possession in the first half, and were able to create many chances. The first came in the sixth minute, where a Gwinn shot was deflected off a defender toward the near post but was saved by Essen goalkeeper Sophia Winkler.

Minutes later, Bühl produced a delicate cross to the centre of the goal, where the head of Harder directed an effort on target which Winkler was able to save. Moments later, a whipped Schüller cross across the box almost met the outstretched boot of Harder, who would have been able to poke home otherwise.

Bayern maintained good control over proceedings, but were just missing that final cutting edge. Some loose passes meant Essen were able to have some forward momentum, but it was often comfortably dealt with by the defenders.

In the 17th minute, Bayern countered after some Essen possession but the pull back to Gwinn was tamely hit by her weaker foot.

In the 24th minute, a Schüller cross almost reached Şehitler, but was cleared by a scrambling Essen defence.

After a long spell of possession, Bayern produced an attacking play of real quality. An overlapping run from Gwinn caused panic, and she pulled the ball back to Şehitler on the edge of the box. She produced a sublime chip to the centre of the box, where Harder was there to smash the ball past Winkler and into the net, 0-1.

Bayern were hungry and motivated to extend their lead, and that was shown right from the kickoff. In the 33rd minute, dangerous efforts from Bühl then Schüller were well-saved in rapid succession. Schüller followed up with another effort of her own moments later, but htat was saved again by Winkler.

In the 41st minute, Bayern thought they had a second goal through a Harder rebound, but it was ultimately ruled offside.

The pressure on that Essen defence was building, so it must have been a relief for them to hear the final whistle without any added time, and so the first half ended with the Bavarians narrowly ahead.

Sketchy Second Half

Essen came out with intent after the restart, and Bayern struggled to regain control. Their first shot of the match came in the 54th minute, after a defensive header dropped into the path of Laureta Elmazi who struck narrowly wide of Mahmutovic’s goal. A warning sign for Bayern after that dominant first half.

Essen continued to have sustained possession in Bayern’s half, and were beginning to pile on the pressure in front of their home crowd. In the 65th minute, Mahmutovic made her first save from a shot at the near post by Ramona Maier. Moments later, she made her second save, again from Ramona Maier, after a headed effort following a deep cross.

Bayern were uncharacteristically poor when attempting to maintain possession, consistently playing loose passes leaving Essen with more opportunities to go forward. Many opportunities to clear from Bayern were half-hearted, and meant that Essen regained possession with little to no problems. The game descended into a scrappy contest, with multiple yellow cards for both teams; Essen with two and Bayern with four!

In attacking phases, Bayern struggled to create any chance up until the 83rd minute. Some good work on the right hand side eventually reached Harder, who could only scuff a shot into the goalkeeper’s hands.

In the 87th, Bayern’s best chance of the second half came from a trademark Stanway long range effort, but Winkler was able to get a hand in the way.

As the board was raised at the end of regulation time, showing four added minutes, Essen were awarded a freekick. Essen keeper Sophia Winkler was instructed to get into the box, which would this time be a blessing for Bayern.

The cross from the freekick was cleared to Stanway who was further up the pitch than Winkler, and she was able to fend off a defender and produce a long-ranged effort which rolled into the goal from the halfway line, 0-2.

The final whistle served as a relief for Bayern fans, after a hard-fought away win.

At Home to Juventus midweek

It was certainly a game of two-halves. Bayern looked unbelievably dominant in the first half, and really could have been two or three clear if not for some excellent goalkeeping by Sophia Winkler. But in that second half, it looked like a vastly different Bayern team had come out. Or maybe, I should instead praise the effort and fight that was shown from Essen, as they came out with intensity and felt they could get something from the game.

Even if it was Essen, Bayern were put under huge pressure at times and held on for the win, which is vitally important. The win puts Bayern joint top of the Bundesliga table with Bayer Leverkusen, after their win last night against now 3rd placed Wolfsburg. Bayern are currently ahead of Leverkusen on goal difference, but could be demoted to 2nd if Frankfurt produce a win at home to Leipzig on Monday Evening. The table is ridiculously close, so despite the iffy performance, the result helps us be a contender for the Meisterschale come the end of the season.

Bayern’s focus will now turn to the UWCL, where despite being through, Bayern would much prefer to finish first in the group to face a theoretically easier opponent in the quarter final. A home win against Juventus may lead to a final-day showdown in London, depending on how Arsenal get on away in Vålerenga, in Bayern’s last game before Christmas for first place. On Thursday Evening, Bayern will host Juventus in UWCL Matchday 5.