FC Bayern Munchen 4-2 SV Werder Bremen
By Catherine MacKenzie (01/05/2025)
Above: Bayern Women starting lineup. Photo: FCBfrauen on X.
Lea Schuller was the star of the show in Cologne, scoring a cup-final hattrick to give Bayern Munich Frauen their first ever domestic double.
Regardless of the scoreline, Thursday’s DFB-Pokal final made history. For the first time in eleven years, a new cup champion would be crowned; the women in green, VfL Wolfsburg, were eliminated in the quarter finals by Hoffenheim, ending their chance of retaining the cup for a twelfth consecutive year. The final was instead fought in a battle between North and South, as FC Bayern Munchen faced SV Werder Bremen in Cologne.
The context
The match was extra special for both Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen. Both head coaches – Alexander Straus and Thomas Horsch – are leaving their clubs at the end of this season.
Straus has led a period of success for Bayern: winning the league for the third consecutive year and now adding the DFB-Pokal to the mix, many have suggested that a new era has dawned in German women’s football.
Whether Wolfsburg have fallen or their competition grown stronger, Straus’ tenure in Munich has taken Bayern to new heights, meeting Wolfsburg’s domination with smart recruitment and an absolute determination that winning starts with team cohesion.
The team has also been besieged by injuries this year. England’s Georgia Stanway had been a pillar in the Bayern midfield, and in her absence, other players have had to play slightly out of position.
It is a testament to the team’s togetherness that this has been handled easily; Caro Simon played in Stanway’s role against Bremen, putting in a sublime performance.
The action
The team from Munich were ahead within the opening ten minutes. In a typically team-crafted goal that started its journey with a ball out from captain Glodis Viggosdottir in the back, her long ball met Giulia Gwinn who hit the crossbar. From there, Lea Schuller headed the rebound into the back of the net.
Werder had their moments in the opening period – however the Bayern press was too strong, and Simon got the second within half an hour. Seconds before half-time, Bremen got a goal back through a textbook counterattack, as Rieke Dieckmann volleyed in from a Tuana Mahmoud cross.
Bayern had the most success utilising their wide players. Gwinn, Simon, and then Tuva Hansen put plenty of crosses into the Bremen box, as they created chance after chance.
They finally made it 3-1 just after the hour mark, as Schuller met Hansen’s cross and headed in for her second of the game. It was the wing that was utilised again ten minutes later, as Schuller got her hattrick.
The final quarter progressed in much the same way, with Bayern dominant and Werder creating the odd chance on the counter. As the game ebbed away, a series of set pieces finally resulted in something concrete for Bremen, as Germany U23 international Larissa Mulhaus scored from a free kick outside of the box.
Moving forward
A consolation goal perhaps, but the thousands of Bremen fans bathed in green did not care as they applauded.
Scoring against the reigning champions in the dying stages – with the goal scored by an exciting young prospect – showed the team’s progress, a positive sign as they hope to improve on their league position yet again next year.
For Alexander Straus, it is yet another trophy; he has led the German giants to three consecutive league titles and now a historic double. Upon leaving for California, behind him are a team with a togetherness that both sets them apart and plays a huge role in their continued success.
As Tuva Hansen commented after the game, “We made history today. It’s unbelievable!”.
Teams: BAYERN MUNICH (4-2-3-1): Mahmutovic, Gwinn, Viggosdottir, Eriksson, Simon, Zadrazil, Lohmann, Harder, Damnjanovic, Buhl, Schuller. Substitutes: Grohs, Sembrant, Hansen, Ulbrich, Dallman, Sehitler, Olme, Caruso, Kett.
Scorers: Schuller 6′, 65′, 79, Simon 30′.
WERDER BREMEN (3-4-3): Peng, Nemeth, Ronan, Penner, Wichmann, Walkling, Hausicke, Dieckmann, Keles, Weidauer, Muhlhaus. Substitutes: Schmidt, Nesterova, Dahms, Beck, Wirtz, Arfaoui, Sternad, Emoke, Wieder.
Scorers: Dieckmann 45+2′, Muhlhaus 90+4′.
Referee: Annika Kost
Attendance: 44,400
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