Kathy Hendrich makes a clear promise before the top game in the Bundesliga between her women from Wolfsburg and FC Bayern.
“We don’t play around,” said the VfL defender before the duel on Saturday in Munich (5:55 p.m. / ARD and Magenta Sport) of the German Press Agency, “we’re going for the win, like we do in every game.”
The duel between the league leaders and the closest pursuer is anything but ordinary – agrees the former Munich player Hendrich: “Apart from my personal past, it’s always something special to play in Munich because there’s this rivalry there.”
The duel is the “ne plus ultra” of the footballers
A rivalry that dates back to 2013. Since then, the champions have come exclusively from Wolfsburg (7 titles) or Munich (3), the game has mutated into a north-south summit. This season, too, the trophy should go to VfL or FCB, after 15 of 22 matchdays the Wolves are just ahead of the Munich team (40) with 42 points. Third is Eintracht Frankfurt (35).
“The ultimate” is what VfL coach Tommy Stroot calls the duel, both clubs are the driving forces in the professionalization of women’s football. “As soon as both teams are in good condition, it’s the top game in the league,” he says.
That seems to be the case at the moment. On Tuesday, Munich won 1-0 in the Champions League against English runners-up WFC Arsenal, the win in the first leg of the quarter-finals was the 13th competitive win in a row. On Wednesday Wolfsburg drew 1-0 at Paris Saint-Germain.
If both German teams deliver again next week, there will be two more direct duels between the industry leaders in the semifinals at the end of April. The DFB Cup semi-final on April 15 is already fixed. “We don’t know it any differently. It’s always kind of the same constellation,” says Bianca Reich, Bayern’s sporting director. “We’re used to meeting each other – more than twice a year, so that’s normal.”
The clubs make up the titles among themselves
All titles lead via Munich – or Wolfsburg, depending on your point of view. The normal madness, starting on Saturday, it will take its course. “I would like to win all three titles,” says Hendrich. In terms of the championship, the league duel will be “pointing the way”, but “it will not be decided on Saturday who will become the German champion”.
In the event of a defeat and then five points behind the defending champions, at least Bayern’s dream of a fifth championship could be over. The women of Munich are therefore not afraid. “We’re always on an equal footing,” says Sydney Lohmann and, with a view to VfL’s first defeat of the season at the beginning of March against Hoffenheim (1: 2), sends a small tip afterwards: “Now they’ve messed up. Psychologically, they might have one bit of a disadvantage. We have little to lose.”
Ex-Wolfsburg player Lina Magull was also optimistic. “We always play to win,” said the national player of the dpa. “We’re in a very good mood at the moment and very self-confident. We’ve developed a good style of play and more of an approach to goal.”
And the defense is in place anyway, Bayern have only conceded four goals in the league – half of them against Wolfsburg, however, in the 1-2 defeat in the first leg.
