VfL Wolfsburg Women produced a dominant performance in front of a record crowd of 4,145 fans at the AOK Stadion on Sunday afternoon in the final round of fixtures of the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season.
The Green-and-Whites completely steamrollered Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the first half of their Matchday 22 assignment en route to a 3-1 win that confirmed a runners-up finish for the She-Wolves and automatic qualification to both the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the Google Pixel Women’s Supercup.
Jule Brand (4’), Sveindis Jonsdottir (8’) and Caitlin Dijkstra (14’) all scored early on to pave the way for the win, with the latter on target for the first time for VfL. After the final whistle, Lineth Beerensteyn received the top scorer’s canon awarded by German magazine kicker for finishing the campaign as the league’s joint sharpest shooter with 16 goals, level with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s Selina Cerci.
There were emotional scenes prior to kick-off as club management, players and fans bade farewell to ten players who will leave VfL this summer: Anneke Borbe, Brand, Kristin Demann, Jonsdottir, Merle Frohms, Marina Hegering, Kathrin Hendrich, Lisa Schmitz, Tabea Sellner and Lynn Wilms all received a bouquet of flowers and a wolf sculpture.
Goals
- 1-0 Brand (4’): What a start! Dijkstra plays a brilliant pass from midfield to Jonsdottir, who squares it to Brand, completely unmarked on the left-hand side. The 22-year-old nutmegs the Leverkusen goalkeeper, sprints around her and tucks the ball into the net.
- 2-0 Jonsdottir (8’): Another early goal! This time Ella Peddemors finds Brand, who drives forward down the left and passes inside to Jonsdottir, who is left with a simple close-range finish.
- 3-0 Dijkstra (14’): Dijkstra gets her first goal for VfL! Justine Kielland delivers a corner from the right and Dijkstra is perfectly placed to head the Green-and-Whites 3-0 up.
- 3-1 Kramer (75’): Leverkusen take a quick throw-in and the ball comes to EstrellaMerino Gonzalez. She lays it off to Cornelia Kramer, who pulls a goal back with a low drive.
Reaction
Sabrina Eckhoff: “We got into the match really well from the off. The players implemented our game plan brilliantly, and after going 3-0 up we eased off a little. After Leverkusen scored to make it 3-1 we saw the game out comfortably and picked up a deserved win.”
Line-ups and stats
VfL Wolfsburg: Borbe – Wedemeyer, Dijkstra (66‘ Hegering), Hendrich, Linder (57‘ Wilms) – Peddemors (76‘ Blomqvist), Kielland (57‘ Lattwein) – Endemann (66‘ Sellner), Jonsdottir, Brand
Subs: Schmitz (GK), Huth, Papp, Nemeth
Bayer 04 Leverkusen: Repohl – Merino Gonzalez, Ostermeier, Turanyi, Levels (80‘ Mickenhagen) – Bender (46‘ Boboy), Piljic (87‘ Friedrich), Grant (67‘ Bartz), Zdebel (67‘ Vidal) – Kramer, Vilhjalmsdottir
Subs: An. Moll (GK), Daedelow, Schwartze, Skinnes Hansen
Goals: 1-0 Brand (4‘), 2-0 Jonsdottir (8‘), 3-0 Dijkstra (14‘), 3-1 Kramer (75‘)
Yellow cards: Brand / Grant, Mickenhagen
Referee: Miriam Schwermer (Ballenstedt)
Attendance: 4,145 at AOK Stadion
