Popp brace inspires Potsdam rout as Bayern, Frankfurt, Hoffenheim win: Frauen-Bundesliga Week 15 Round-Up

· Bayern Munich capitulated FC Köln 5-0 away on Saturday to boost morale ahead of a crunch UEFA Women’s Champions League tie against Arsenal at home on Tuesday

· Hoffenheim left it late to edge Freiburg 1-0 as Frankfurt demolished Essen 4-1 on Sunday

Alexandra Popp scored a second consecutive brace as reigning champions Wolfsburg dismantled Turbine Potsdam 5-0 at the AOK Stadion on Friday evening.

Wolfsburg coach Tommy Stroot made three changes to the team which started in their 4-1 demolition of Bayer Leverkusen last weekend, bringing on defender Marina Hegering, midfielder Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir and forward Tabea Waßmuth for defender Lynn Wilms, Popp and attacker Ewa Pajor respectively whilst Potsdam’s interim manager Dirk Heinrichs made no changes to the team which started in their 3-0 defeat to Duisburg a fortnight ago.

Defender Felicitas Rauch opened the account for the hostesses 17 minutes into the first half with a close range header to the centre of the goal after pouncing on a cross from midfielder Svenja Huth on the left and Wolfsburg would take their lead into the break.

Midfielder Lena Lattwein made it 2-0 to the hostesses on 67 minutes with a right footed shot into the bottom left corner with an assist from 50th minute substitute Popp before the latter went on the scoresheet herself to make it 3-0 just five minutes later with a blistering header from inside the six yard box on the left into the bottom right corner after pouncing on a Huth corner.

75th minutes substitute Pajor almost made it four-nil in the 82nd minute but her header from inside the area crushed on the left upright before Dutch defender Dominique Janssen quadrupled their lead four minutes from time with a header from inside the six yard box into the bottom right corner as Huth completed a hat-trick of assists with another corner.

Popp returned to complete her brace in the first minute of second half extra-time with yet another header from inside the six yard box to the high centre of the goal as Huth registered her fourth assist of the shift with an inch perfect cross from the right.

The brace saw Popp consolidate her position at the top of the Bundesliga goal charts with 12 whilst Huth’s four assists saw her rise to become joint-top assist raker in the current Bundesliga campaign alongside Bayern’s Carolina Simon with seven.

Die Wölfinnen remain at the top of the Bundesliga table on 42 points from 14 wins in 15 ties whilst Potsdam remain condemned to the bottom of the log without a win this season. They have a single point from one draw in 15 encounters.

Watch VfL Wolfsburg vs 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam below:

Meanwhile, Klara Bühl struck twice as a rampant Bayern Munich powered to a 5-0 triumph over FC Köln away on Saturday afternoon.

Midfielder Sydney Lohmann opened the account for the Bavarians 11 minutes into the first half with a right out-footed shot into the bottom left corner off the left upright from just inside the six yard box on the right before Bühl doubled the lead 11 minutes later with a right footed screamer into the bottom left corner from outside the area.

Midfielder Lina Magull made it 3-0 six minutes later with a right footed blaster into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area, assisted by English midfielder Georgia Stanway before Bühl returned to complete her brace on 37 minutes with a right footed shot from close range into the bottom right corner, assisted by Lohman from the right

Defender Maximiliane Rall made it 5-0 and put the match to bed at the stroke of half-time with a right footed sliding shot from just inside the six yard box to the centre of the goal with an assist from attacker Lea Schüller.

Bayern remain second on the standings on 40 points from 13 wins and a draw in 15 contests whilst Köln slipped from 10th to 11th on 11 points from three wins and two draws with a game in hand.

Watch 1. FC Köln vs. Bayern München highlights below:

Eintracht Frankfurt made it three wins in a row with a 4-1 demolition of SGS Essen at the Stadion am Brentanobad in Frankfurt on Sunday afternoon.

Slovenian attacker Lara Prašnikar opened the scoring for the hostesses with a strike 14 minutes into the first half before midfielder Laura Freigang made it 2-0 with a strike 11 minutes later and the teams would retreat for half-time.

Midfielder Julia Debitzki pulled one back for the visitors with a strike just five minutes into the second half, assisted by forward Natasha Kowalski before Prašnikar returned to complete her brace with a strike just a minute later, assisted by fellow forward Nicole Anyomi.

Prašnikar’s brace took her tally for the season to nine goals and is now joint-second top scorer in the current Bundesliga campaign alongside Freiburg’s Janina Minge, Wolfsburg’s Pajor and Bayern’s Schüller.

85th minute substitute forward Shekeira Martinez made it 4-1 to Frankfurt with a strike just a minute after coming on with an assist from Austrian defender Verena Hanshaw to secure a crucial three points for her side.

Frankfurt remain third on the standings on 35 points from 11 wins and two draws in 15 encounters whilst Essen slipped from sixth to seventh on 17 points from five wins and four draws in the same number of ties.

Watch Eintracht Frankfurt vs. SGS Essen highlights below:

A late Melissa Kössler strike saw champions league hopefuls Hoffenheim edge Freiburg 1-0 away on Sunday afternoon.

Kössler found the back of the net with a strike one minute from time as coach Stephan Lerch made his debut on the Hoffenhiem bench.

The 38-year-old former Wolfsburg coach took over from interim coach Nadine Rolser who had stepped in after the sacking of Gabor Gallai early this year.

"Our victory is certainly a little lucky because of the late goal, but it's not undeserved because of the first half," said Stephan Lerch after his successful debut. "We put on a lot of pressure before the break but failed to score a goal or two. The game was much more open in the second half and Freiburg pushed forward courageously. In the end, of course, we were happy to take the three points with us."

Hoffenheim remain fourth on the standings on 32 points from 10 wins and two draws in 15 outings whilst Freiburg remain fifth on 22 points from seven wins and a draw in the same number of contests.

Watch SC Freiburg vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim highlights below:

Bayer Leverkusen bounced back from their 4-1 humiliation at the hands of Wolfsburg the previous weekend with a 2-1 win over Meppen on Sunday.

Forward Kristin Kögel opened the account for Bayer with a strike on 28 minutes, assisted by fellow midfielder Jill Baijings and the teams would retreat for half-time.

Midfielder Lisa Josten levelled the scores for Meppen with a strike 11 minutes into the second half with an assist from Australian winger Anna Margraf before defender Selina Marie Ostermeier sealed the win for Bayer with a strike two minutes from time off an Elisa Senß assist.

Bayer midfielder Lisanne Gräwe was shown a red card after receiving her second yellow and will miss their home clash against Freiburg next weekend.

Bayer rose from seventh to sixth on the standings on 19 points from six wins and a draw in 15 ties whilst Meppen slipped from eighth to ninth on 13 points from four wins and a draw in the same number of encounters.

Christin Meyer’s second half strike was enough for Werder Bremen to edge Duisburg 1-0 away on Sunday.

The 22-year-old attacker scored in the 76th minute as the visitors bounced back from two consecutive defeats to collect a crucial three points.

Werder Bremen rose from 11th to eighth on the standings on 13 points from three wins and four draws whilst Duisburg slipped from ninth to 10th on goal difference.

FIXTURES: Friday 16 March, 2023 (VfL Wolfsburg 5 – 0 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam)

FIXTURES: Saturday 17 March, 2023 (1. FC Köln 0 – 5 Bayern München)

FIXTURES: Sunday 18 March, 2023 (MSV 02 Duisburg 0 – 1 SV Werder Bremen)

FIXTURES: Sunday 18 March, 2023 (Eintracht Frankfurt 4 – 1 SGS Essen)

FIXTURES: Sunday 18 March, 2023 (SV Meppen 1 – 2 Bayer 04 Leverkusen)

FIXTURES: Sunday 18 March, 2023 (SC Freiburg 0 – 1 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim)