Bayern Munich Frauen left it late to advance to the round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal, sneaking by Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 to advance to the next round.
The reigning champions opted for a heavily rotated lineup in light of the upcoming big games against SL Benfica and Eintracht Frankfurt. Only three players – Vanessa Gilles, Jovana Damnjanović, and Franziska Kett – remained from the midweek starting eleven against Manchester City.
Perhaps it was only natural that Bayern struggled in the first half,
and even went a goal down through a corner in stoppage time. It was far from the ideal start that the champions had wanted.
So dire was the situation that coach José Barcala used all five substitutions before the hour mark, with big names like Giulia Gwinn and Klara Bühl entering the fray early on. However, the equalizer came from a rather unlikely source, with Gilles keeping up her remarkable scoring form from a Bühl corner in the 74th minute.
And if that was not enough, Gilles scored a rare brace with a well-taken backheel following yet another corner, also from Bühl. With Edna Imade and Pernille Harder both missing big chances, Bayern were counting their lucky stars with their Canadian center back.
A late penalty shout was ignored by the referee, but Bayern still made it to the next round, albeit a bit shakily. The draw for the next round will take place shortly after Bayern’s game, and should be out around the time of publishing, give or take.
As aforementioned, Bayern’s next game is another away trip, this time to Lisbon to face Benfica. Afterwards, they go on a shorter away trip to Frankfurt before the international break.
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