As of: May 10, 2024 12:49 p.m
The VfL Wolfsburg footballers have impressively underlined their supremacy in the women’s DFB Cup: On Thursday, coach Tommy Stroot’s team won the final in Cologne 2-0 (2-0) against German champions FC Bayern Munich. It was the Lower Saxony team’s tenth cup victory in a row.
The success of the “Wolves” in their favorite competition was well deserved – and took shape early on in the sold-out Müngersdorf Stadium with 44,400 spectators. Striker Jule Brand (14th) and central defender Dominique Janssen (40th) scored the goals for the 50th victory in a cup game in a row.
For almost the entire duration of the game, the Stroot team won many balls with high duel intensity and tactically clever, situationally applied pressing and prevented FCB’s otherwise dominant build-up game.
“We didn’t have a good season, but this is our title.”
VfL captain Alexandra Popp
With the tenth victory in the DFB Cup in a row, VfL’s title streak also holds: Since 2013 – the year of the treble win – the Lower Saxony team have won at least one trophy in every season. “The cup always has its own rules. 50 wins in a row is a record for eternity,” said Wolfsburg’s mayor Dennis Weilmann, who invited the team to the town hall.
VfL coach Stroot spoke in an NDR interview about a “spectacular title” at the end of a “difficult season”. For him, it was “the title that feels best,” said the 35-year-old.
His captain Alexandra Popp was also relieved after the dominant performance: “It was extremely important for us to set this exclamation mark,” she said, referring to the discussion surrounding a possible “changing of the guard” for the long-time figurehead of German women’s football. “I’m very proud of the team and very relieved. We didn’t have a good season, but this is our title.” Now “Cologne is being torn apart.”
Brand puts Wolfsburg in the lead
The Wolfsburg women got off to a good start in the final. After successfully fending off FCB’s attacking efforts in the opening minutes, they took the lead through fire. The national player simply took a shot from 18 meters from the left-hand position and benefited from Bayern goalkeeper Maria Louisa Grohs making a mistake and not being able to catch her touchdown (14th).
As fortunate as the goal was, it was the reward for a good initial phase for VfL, who repeatedly played forward quickly from a compact defense. Brand and Ewa Pajor had already had their first chances to take the lead within a few seconds (11th).
Janssen increases for VfL
Even after the 1-0 win, the Lower Saxony team dominated. First Grohs defused a powerful shot from Lena Oberdorf (24th), then in desperate need after a corner she saved with a lightning reflex against a header from the soon-to-be-Munich woman (33rd).
Seven minutes later, however, the 22-year-old was beaten a second time: Janssen headed in a corner from Svenja Huth from the left side to make it 2-0 for the “Wolves” (40th).
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Frohms saves strongly against Schüller and Bühl
The Munich women, who are in the league defended the title last weekend had done perfectly, came out of the dressing room with more momentum, but the VfL midfield around Oberdorf, Huth and Popp continued to dominate and did not allow Bayern strategist Georgia Stanway to develop.
FC Bayern needed a set-piece situation to become really dangerous for the first time. VfL goalkeeper Merle Frohms quickly defused her national team colleague Lea Schüller’s header after a corner (58th). Six minutes later she strongly parried a long-range shot from Klara Bühl.
Wolfsburg plays in a disciplined manner
Even though from Wolfsburg’s perspective there wasn’t as much going forward as in the first half, they still had the game under control with their running and duel-intensive game. They closed all the rooms in a disciplined manner.
A slipped cross from substitute Sydney Lohmann brought a hint of danger to the “Wolves” goal (80th). But then everyone who supported the VfL women burst into unbridled cheer and the Wolfsburg women were able to celebrate their tenth DFB Cup title in a row.
Further information
Results and dates DFB Cup women’s football 2023/2024. more
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Sports current | May 9, 2024 | 6:17 p.m