Frauen-Bundesliga: Bayern prevail in Wolfsburg after Champions League horror

The champions won the battle of the top-of-the-table clash.

Bayern Munich climbed to the summit of the Frauen-Bundesliga after a convincing 3-1 win over VfL Wolfsburg at Volkswagen Arena. José Barcala’s side is yet to concede a goal by an opposing player after six league games.

Last season’s double winners had a difficult night in the Champions League when they lost 7-1 to Barcelona, while their hosts beat PSG 4-0 at home. Barcala decided to leave experienced duo Magdalena Eriksson and Lea Schüller on the bench, while Germany’s captain Giulia Gwinn makes her return to the starting lineup.

Klara Bühl, who scored Bayern’s only goal in the midweek’s debacle, was criticized a lot for her interview after the game, but she opened the scoring here with a brilliant finish in the 27th minute. The German international entertained the idea of playing for Barcelona following Bayern’s heavy defeat at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.

The 24-year-old also had another big chance to double the score before the half-time break, but Stina Johannes denied her with an excellent save. Wolfsburg’s goalkeeper was one of the standout players in their solid European start, and she helped her side to stay in the game on this one.

The hosts leveled the score early in the second-half with Bayern failing to clear their lines after a corner-kick. Arianna Caruso scored an own-goal when she tried to block Janina Minge’s shot in a crowded box.

That was the first league goal Bayern conceded this season after 500 minutes of action. Apart from the game against Carl Zeiss Jena, the 21-year-old Ena Mahmutovic is Bayern’s starting goalkeeper.

Momoko Tanikawa also started every game besides the home draw with Jena, and she restored Bayern’s lead here in the 57th minute. The Japanese midfielder scored in back-to-back league games with a fine finish from Gwinn’s speculative delivery.

The hosts were desperately searching for the second equalizer in the final half hour. Their attack-minded approach cost them in injury-time. First, Joelle Wedemeyer saw a straight red card for a professional foul on the substitute Schüller. Then, in the 95th minute, 18-year-old Alara Şehitler put the finishing touch with a superb strike after a fine linkup with Georgia Stanway and Bühl.

Wolfsburg will now travel to Norway for Wednesday’s Champions League game against Toppserien’s second-placed team Vålerenga. Bayern welcome Juventus on Thursday with the hopes of leaving behind that miserable Barcelona experience.