The Volkswagen Arena is set to host quite the spectacle on Saturday 11 October when Bayern Munich visit VfL Wolfsburg on Matchday 6 of the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga (kick-off 15:00 CEST).
The teams are locked on 13 points each at the top of the table and both have a goal difference of +13. The She-Wolves are only ahead in the standings by virtue of having scored more goals – but they are determined to consolidate that position with points this weekend.
…team news: “Lena Lattwein, Sophia Kleinherne, Luca Papp and Smilla Vallotto are all unavailable, while Vivien Endemann will be sidelined for several weeks with a muscle injury in her left thigh. It’s a big blow as she hurt herself during the warm-up for the PSG game. Caitlin Dijkstra is doubtful as she’s got a mild cold. Linnea Saelen will come into the squad from the U20s.”
…the current standings: “Obviously it’s nice to be at the very top right now. It’s a good moment and a positive consequence of our development. We want to defend top spot – not that you need any extra motivation against Bayern. The game speaks for itself, it’s ‘Der Klassiker’ of women’s football in Germany.”
…the significance of midweek Champions League results: “I’m expecting Bayern to show a reaction [to losing 7-1 against Barcelona]. They’ll come here with fire in their bellies and will try to dominate. But we won’t let that affect us; we’re just concentrating on our own game. Our 4-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain gives us self-confidence. We saw what’s possible when passion, trust and a bit of luck come together out on the pitch. That gave us strength, but tomorrow we start at 0-0 again.”
…his team’s fitness levels after the PSG game: “We haven’t had a rest day – instead we deliberately opted to follow a recovery programme. We want to stay in our rhythm, but at the same time recharge our batteries. Wednesday’s match was unbelievably intensive, but we’re fit enough to hold our own against Bayern.”
…the significance of the game being held at the Volkswagen Arena: “It doesn’t change anything in terms of our routines, but in general it’s an additional motivating factor. Playing against a backdrop like that will do us good and help our development.”
