On the 28th May 2023, crowds erupted at the Marienplatz in Munich as Bayern Munich Frauen held the Bundesliga Meisterschale aloft in celebration. The league winners enjoyed a shared celebration with their male counterparts of Bayern Munich who are the winners of the 22/23 Bundesliga title.
🥳 #MiaSanMeister pic.twitter.com/OTWVGJwptQ
— 🏆 MEISTERINNEN 🏆 (@FCBfrauen) May 28, 2023
So how exactly did Bayern Frauen get there?
The end of the 21/22 season brought a second-place league finish, a Champions league spot and Alexander Straus. The new head coach came from Brann Kvinner in Norway and was ready to work his magic with a fired-up Bayern side who were hungry for silverware.
Straus utilised his summer transfer window to bring in a host of new signings such as English midfielder Georgia Stanway and Brazilian defender Tainara in order to strengthen his squad. Both players were relishing in gold after a successful summer with their respective countries in the Euros and the Copa America. These players proved vital to Bayern’s league win.
However, Straus was served no easy welcome in Bayern’s first league outing of the 22/23 season. Last season’s third placed Eintracht Frankfurt posed a monster of a competitor and a mammoth battle in front of 23,200 at Deutsche Bank Park resulted in a goalless draw. A 2-point deficit to overcome on Matchday 1 was certainly not the ideal way to start the season. However, the squad persevered, and a string of wins ensued, bar a tight 2-1 loss to league leaders and the previous season’s champions, Wolfsburg. The reds slipped to third and injuries started to nibble away at a depleted side.
This game would, however, be the first and last loss of Bayern’s season. The first half of the season was closed by a comfortable 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen placing them in second before the winter break. The side lay 5 points behind top placed Wolfsburg, the league was most definitely still within reach.
After a successful summer, Bayern looked to build the squad once again and after signing Tuva Hansen in early December before the window had even opened, it was clear the team meant business. The Norwegian defender came from Straus’ previous club Brann, her flexibility across the backline and mature experience brought even more strength to a Bayern side whose fighting spirit had started to rise a little louder.
The new year brought new victories as Bayern began to gain momentum in the league. Eintracht Frankfurt had brought all sorts of problems in the away fixture but with moments of magic from defender Glódís Viggósdóttir and lethal forward Lea Schüller, the three points were secured. Bayern emerged from this game shining a little brighter and seeming a lot more terrifying.
Meanwhile, over in Wolfsburg hands were thrown to heads and eyes were opened wide as the Wolves suffered their first loss of the season to Hoffenheim. This reduced the gap at the top to 2 points, just 21 days before the top teams were due to clash once again. The FC Bayern Campus was absolutely rocking, red faced green in a 90 minute multicoloured battle of mettle. Both Georgia Stanway and Sydney Lohmann had their shots deflected onto the crossbar and Maria Luisa Grohs was called into action numerous times to protect her goal from the rivalling Wolfsburg forwards. The moment of decision came in the 84th minute as Lena Lattwein was called out for a handball inside the penalty area.
You may have heard of the phrase “Georgia Stanway does not miss”. This phrase certainly was ringing in the ears of everybody inside of that stadium, even more so in the ears of Stanway’s herself. This was a penalty that would decide who at the end of the 90 minutes would wrestle the role of league leader. A deep breath. A step back. A ball plummeting into the corner of the Wolfsburg net to send Bayern top of the league with a one-point surplus. The race for their fifth league title was on.
Title crunch time rolled around once again as Bayern were set to face Hoffenheim on Matchday 20. Going into this, Bayern knew it was a must win and the team certainly played like they did. Hoffenheim’s 6 shots paled in comparison to Bayern’s 23 however the possession was kept fairly equal. An early goal just under the half hour mark from striker Schüller was enough to secure a four-point lead over Wolfsburg, 4 being a number that paralleled the goals scored against the Wolves in a shock defeat to Frankfurt.
Going into the penultimate game of the season, a win would secure Bayern the title. The team last won the league in the 2020-21 season and now each player’s senses were focused solely on winning the shield. Bayern adorned in their sleek white and gold kit could not seem to find the back of the net, despite their domination on the pitch. A very solid Leverkusen side restricted the reds to a goalless draw, meaning the title would be decided on the final weekend in their match against already relegated Turbine Potsdam. Bayern would head into their final game of the season with a two-point lead over Wolfsburg and the scent of victory.
A more perfect final day could not be imagined, as the club recorded the biggest league win in history with an 11-1 thrashing of Potsdam. The scoring was opened in the fourth minute by defender Saki Kumagi – who ended up with a hattrick- and seemed relentless up until the 90th minute as Schüller emphatically rounded off Bayern’s 11th of the day to secure the side the league title after a year without silverware.
Marienplatz cheered and as did Bayern fans worldwide. Straus’ first season in charge resulting in a trophy lift. Youth players from Bayern’s second team rising up the ranks. Impactful and huge summer signings such as Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder. Bayern are certainly looking to be the team to beat next season in all competitions. The future is bright.
Written by Sophie Scriven
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