Tight 1-0 Win for Bayern Against Köln

This article written by Matthew Coates

As a result of the defensive changes, the versatile Tuva Hansen was shifted to centre back, Giulia Gwinn returned to right back, and Simon slotted in at left back. Klara Bühl was the surprising absence, perhaps partly due to the crucial first UWCL game against Arsenal on Wednesday: a deserved rest for one of the players of the season so far.

The Bayern XI was as follows:

Maria Luisa (Mala) Grohs (GK) – Giulia Gwinn, Tuva Hansen, Linda Sembrant, Carolin Simon – Sam Kerr, Georgia Stanway (c) – Sydney Lohmann, Pernille Harder, Jovana Damnjanovic – Lea Schüller

Bayern came into the game on the back of four straight league wins, whereas Köln had only one draw from their first four, most recently losing at home to Freiburg.

Goalless First Half

The first half lacked attacking quality and fluidity from either side. Bayern started slowly, as they often have this season, and despite maintaining the vast majority of possession they weren’t able to consistently create against a solid Köln defence. 

It should be said that Köln impressively disrupted Bayern’s attacking play, not playing like a team who had conceded eleven goals in their first four league games.

The first real chance came in the 13th minute, where Schüller’s shot was straight at the keeper. Six minutes later, Damnjanovic could have scored but unfortunately fluffed her lines.

Koln’s first real chance came in the 15th minute, where some good work around the box by former Bayern player Laura Feiersinger forced Grohs into a decent save.

A penalty could have been given for Bayern in the 39th, as Damnjanovic went down but the referee waved play on, which was likely the correct call.

Bayern Head Coach Alexander Straus often cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines in the first half, likely disappointed with the lack of fluidity from his side, which is something we hoped would be addressed in the second half.

Alexander Straus’ half-time instructions unfortunately led to little change at the beginning of the second half, with Köln at points looking the more likely of the teams to open the scoring. In the 53rd minute, Köln midfielder Dora Zeller had the best chance of the game until that point to make the breakthrough for the away side, but the chance was smothered by Grohs.

Bayern responded in the 57th minute with some nice combination play, but ultimately resulting in a tame shot which was gathered by Köln’s keeper Josefine Osigus. It felt like substitutions would be important in this match to provide a cutting edge.

Bayern’s first changes were Bühl and Dallman for Damnjanovic and Lohmann in the 64th minute. Unfortunately for Bayern, this brought little immediate change, and Bayern remained vulnerable. Mala was required to make another save in the 68th minute to keep the score level.

In the 71st minute, the breakthrough finally came. A truly sensational strike from Bühl from outside of the box into the bottom corner meant Bayern were on course for their fifth win, and dramatically improved the optics ahead of the game at home against Arsenal. As the saying goes, the true mark of champions is to win when you’re not playing well. (I’m definitely clutching at straws here).

Bayern starlet Alara Şehitler made her first appearance of the season when she replaced Lea Schüller in the 80th minute. It marks her return from U20 duty with Germany at the U20 Women’s world cup, where she was unfortunately knocked out by the US on penalties at the quarter final stage. 

A first yellow of the season for Stanway was the final notable action of the game, as Bayern defended their lead and held out for a 1-0 heimsieg (home win).

Conclusions ahead of UWCL Action

That could prove a very important win, but it will no doubt provide some concerns for Alex Straus ahead of the game against Arsenal. He will be hoping that the players were focused on that game and that’s what led to the lacklustre performance, but that doesn’t mean he will be pleased with his side’s display.

Despite that, Bayern remain perfect and top of the table. Their next league game is away to title rivals Wolfsburg, who are currently 5 points behind. 

A special shoutout to Bayern’s Japanese starlet and now Swedish Champion Momoko Tanikawa, who officially won the League with Rosengard on Friday! She is exceptionally talented, having scored 13 goals in 15 games in the league so far, on top of scoring an incredible goal in the 2024 Olympics. She will return to Bayern in January, and she could quickly establish herself in Straus’ team going forward.

In UWCL news, Bayern did not register Ana María Guzmán in their squad for the group stage. Bayern must have decided that due to the length of her most recent injury, she would be better served playing for Bayern’s second team for the time being. She could make appearances in the league and cup for the first team, but cannot be registered in the UWCL until at least the quarter final stage (if Bayern get through their tough group). Bayern also did not register Austrian left back Katharina Naschenweng or new signing Lena Oberdorf, as both are recovering from ACL injuries. Next up, Bayern play host to Arsenal on Wednesday 9th October