Women

She-Wolves defeat plucky Köln

VfL Women saw off 1. FC Köln 5-1 at the AOK Stadion.

The She-Wolves picked up a 5-1 victory over 1. FC Köln on Sunday evening, recording their first home win of the season in the process. The 2,936 fans who came to the AOK Stadion in Wolfsburg for Matchday 3 of the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga were treated to a brave performance by the visitors, who were determined not to let the home side dictate proceedings.

The Green-and-Whites even found themselves a goal behind in the first half an hour, with Nicole Billa converting from the penalty spot (25’) before Alexandra Popp (27’) and Lena Lattwein (45’) turned things around before the break. The She-Wolves were clearly the better team in the second half, ultimately cruising to a 5-1 win courtesy of Jule Brand (51’), Lynn Wilms (68’) and Lineth Beerensteyn (84’). Popp celebrated her 300th Bundesliga appearance in the process, while Marina Hegering hit the 200 mark. 

Goals

  • 0-1 Billa (25’, pen): Billa scores from the spot after a foul in the box to give Köln the lead. 
     
  • 1-1 Popp (27’): An excellent move down the left sees Brand get the better of two opponents before looking up and finding Popp, who equalises from close range.
     
  • 2-1 Lattwein (45’): A Beerensteyn cross flies over Köln goalkeeper Paula Hoppe and finds Lattwein, who pounces on the ball to give her side a 2-1 lead. 
     
  • 3-1 Brand (51’): Hoppe fails to deal with a corner and the ball lands at the feet of Brand, who stabs home from close range to make it 3-1. 
     
  • 4-1 Wilms (68’): A Wilms cross is allowed to sail into the top far corner, with Hoppe looking all at sea.
     
  • 5-1 Beerensteyn (84’): Beerensteyn gets her first goal for VfL, the Dutch international rounding out the scoring to make it 5-1. 

Reaction

Tommy Stroot: This was no easy match, but at the end of the day the scoreboard reads 5-1. After a week when we had to go to play in Europe against Fiorentina on Wednesday, this was a really great performance.

Line-ups and stats 

VfL Wolfsburg: Frohms – Wilms, Hendrich (58‘ Wedemeyer), Hegering, Linder (58‘ Rabano) – Minge (71‘ Kielland), Lattwein (80‘ Hagel) – Beerensteyn, Huth, Brand (71‘ Jonsdottir) – Popp 

Subs: Schmitz (GK), Kalma, Blomqvist, Endemann

1. FC Köln: Hoppe – Matysik (72‘ Donhauser), Hechler, Agrez, Gerhardt – Feiersinger, Achcinska, Ziemer – Leimenstoll (60‘ Vogt), Billa (46‘ Bienz), Zeller (86‘ Imping)

Subs: Osigus (GK), Degen, Schmidt

Goals: 0-1 Billa (25‘/pen), 1-1 Popp (27‘), 2-1 Lattwein (45‘), 3-1 Brand (51‘), 4-1 Wilms (68‘), 5-1 Beerensteyn (84‘)

Yellow cards: Hendrich, Huth, Wilms / Gerhardt

Referee: Anna-Lena Heidenreich (Bad Schwartau)

Attendance: 2,936 at AOK Stadion (Wolfsburg)