Wolfsburg, Bayern in tricky tests as troubled Potsdam seek first win: Frauen-Bundesliga Week 9 Preview
Log leaders Wolfsburg will be looking to guard their 100% record when they host second place Frankfurt at the Volkswagen Arena on Saturday.
The reigning champions are only four points above the Frankfurt side who are also yet to lose a match this season.
Buoyant following an emphatic 4-0 win over Köln last weekend, Tommy Stroot’s side will be looking to increase the gap at the top with a win which could prove decisive in the title race. Frankfurt, on the other hand, coming from a narrow 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen last weekend, will be looking to make it three wins in a row to keep pressure at the top.
Die Wölfinnen will turn to the services of forward Ewa Pajor who is joint-top scorer in the current campaign with seven goals. Forward Alexandra Popp and defender Marina Hegering who netted a brace each in Wolfsburg’s 4-0 win over Köln will also be tasked with finding goals against Frankfurt. Popp is now third top scorer in the current Bundesliga campaign with six goals. Frankfurt, on the other hand, will ride on the industry of forward Laura Freigang who is club top scorer with five goals. Forwards Lara Prasnikar and Shekiera Martinez who are on four goals each this campaign will also look to step up as Frankfurt seek to secure their seventh win of the term.
A win for Wolfsburg will take them to 27 points whilst a win for Frankfurt, who have recorded six wins and two draws in eight encounters, will take them to 23 points.
Meanwhile, former champions Bayern Munich travel to Hoffenheim for a tricky Friday evening encounter.
The Munich side, coming from a dominant 2-0 win over SGS Essen last weekend, will be looking to secure their seventh win of the Bundesliga term ahead of a crunch UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) clash against Spanish champions Barcelona at home where they look to overturn a three-goal deficit. Hoffenheim, on the other hand, coming from a 3-1 win over Potsdam last weekend, will be looking for a crucial sixth win of the season.
Bayern will be banking on the services of forwards Linda Dallmann and Lea Schüller who are club joint-top scorers with four goals. They will also hope that midfielder Lina Magull and forward Franziska Kett still have their scoring boots on having scored a goal each in their 2-0 win over Essen last weekend.
Hoffenheim, on the other hand, will be looking up to forward Katharina Naschenweng, who is club top scorer with five goals and also scored in their 3-1 win over Potsdam last weekend.
If Hoffenheim win, they will be on the same points as Bayern, having registered 16 points from five wins and a draw in eight contests. If Bayern win, and Frankfurt lose elsewhere, they will go second, five points behind log leaders Wolfsburg.
Potsdam, almost halfway into the season, will be looking for an evasive first win when they play Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
The beleaguered Brandenburg side, who missed third place by just three points last season, have registered seven straight defeats following their 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen on matchday one back in September and sit at the bottom of the log.
Leverkusen, on the other hand, have managed just three wins this term and sit seventh on the standings.
Freiburg host Bundesliga newcomers Duisburg in a mid-table clash on Saturday.
The hosts are coming from a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen away last weekend and will seek inspiration from the result in their quest for the sixth win of the term whilst Duisburg will be looking to build on their 1-0 win over Meppen last weekend.
Freiburg are fifth on the standings on 15 points from five wins in eight matches whilst Duisburg are sixth on 10 points from three wins and a draw in the same number of contests.
Meppen will be looking for a fourth win of the term when they host Köln on Sunday.
Meppen will be looking to bounce back from a narrow 1-0 defeat to newcomers Duisburg whilst Köln will also be looking to bounce back from an empathic 4-0 defeat to champions Wolfsburg last weekend.
Meppen are eighth on the standings on nine points from three wins in eight outings whilst Köln, who are ninth on inferior goal difference, have also registered nine points from three wins in the same number of outings.
Essen will be looking for their third set of full points when they host winless Werder Bremen on Sunday.
The hosts will be looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat to Bayern last weekend whilst the visitors will also be looking to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat to Freiburg last weekend.
Essen are 10thon the standings on six points from two wins in eight outgoings whilst Werder Bremen are 11th on two points from two draws in the same number of encounters.
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FIXTURES: Friday 02 December, 2022 (20:15) Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich
FIXTURES: Saturday 03 December, 2022 (14:00) VfL Wolfsburg vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
FIXTURES: Sunday 03 December, 2022 (17:00) Freiburg vs. Duisburg
FIXTURES: Sunday 04 December, 2022 (14:00) Meppen vs. FC Köln
FIXTURES: Sunday 04 December, 2022 (14:00) Bayer Leverkusen vs. Turbine Potsdam
FIXTURES: Sunday 04 December, 2022 (17:00) SGS Essen vs. Werder Bremen
All Times are Central European Time (CET)