Bayern Munich Frauen left it late to snatch a 1-1 draw against TSG Hoffenheim on Wednesday evening.
The Bavarians now have very little to play for, having been knocked out of the Champions League semifinals and with the Bundesliga title already wrapped up. In a way, the only game that has any sort of meaning left to it is the DFB-Pokal final.
Perhaps this had something to do with the uncharacteristically sluggish start that Bayern made to the game, despite playing at home. The heavily rotated squad
(with Giulia Gwinn excluded completely for undisclosed reasons) fashioned very little in terms of big chances, and even had to go into halftime a goal down after a perfectly weighted pass found Selina Cerci and caught goalkeeper Ena Mahmutovic in no-man’s land.
After halftime, coach José Barcala made a slew of changes to salvage a result, bringing on the likes of Klara Bühl, Pernille Harder, and Linda Dallmann. The substitutes did work to a certain extent, as the Bavarians started to turn the screw. However, Hoffenheim’s defense remained firm, and the hosts were repeatedly frustrated as the clock ticked down.
With mere minutes remaining, Bayern had to be creative, and they somehow found a way through a rather unconventional goalscorer. In the 89th minute, Bühl whipped in a cross and found the head of defender Magdalena Eriksson, whose shot ricocheted off a defender and into the net.
The result saved Bayern’s unbeaten run, and while the Bundesliga title is in safe hands, the champions will be hoping for a repeat of their invincible season in 2023/24. The draw also marked the first league game Bayern failed to win since their 0-0 draw against Carl Zeiss Jena last fall.
Bayern now have three games remaining in the season. They first play Eintracht Frankfurt this weekend, when they will also receive the Meisterschale. Next Wednesday will be the aforementioned Pokal final against VfL Wolfsburg, and the team will finish off the season with an away trip to Hamburger SV on Sunday.
