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Late breakthrough hands Bayern Munich victory as Frauen Bundesliga continues measured return

Jovana Damnjanovic celebrates scoring her team's second goal - GETTY IMAGES
Jovana Damnjanovic celebrates scoring her team's second goal - GETTY IMAGES
Women's Sport Social Embed
Women's Sport Social Embed

Bayern Munich 3 Hoffenheim 0

There were moments, even with the backdrop of empty seats, and the silence punctuated only by hollered instructions, when you could watch Bayern Munich v Hoffenheim and trick yourself into thinking things were almost normal.

The celebrations when Bayern broke the deadlock on 83 minutes were emphatic, and categorically not socially-distanced: from Verena Schweers’s free kick, Carina Wenninger nodded the ball back across the box for the unmarked Kathrin Hendrich to volley into the top corner from close-range. You could feel their relief, after trying - and failing - to break down the most obdurate of opponents. With the goal music ringing behind them, they plunged into a team hug - a reminder of just how difficult it is, in the midst of a race for the second Champions League place, to exercise restraint and bump elbows instead.

Three goals in the final nine minutes made for a harsh scoreline, Jovana Damnjanović finishing composedly with a single touch when played through by Sydney Lohmann before Lina Magull’s arcing free-kick nestled in the top corner in added time for number three. Hoffenheim will rue the way Jana Beuschlein’s tap in, which would have made it 2-1, was disallowed for offside, but Bayern had too much momentum by that point for it to really feel like a turning point. In any case, Hoffenheim's Maximiliane Rall had already missed an open goal in the first half, struggling to meet a tumbling ball across the box in what was then the best chance of the game.

This meeting of second and third - Bayern started this eight points off leaders Wolfsburg but just a point ahead of Hoffenheim - was engrossing enough, well-paced if sometimes lacking in incision and laced with brisk attacking play. But to watch both squads enter the field wearing face masks in club colours induced an eerie, uncanny feeling and was the reminder, were it needed, that one will not be able to gauge the success of the Frauen Bundesliga’s return for several more weeks.

The measures taken to reduce the risk of Covid-19 were evident when the players took to the pitch - GETTY IMAGES
The measures taken to reduce the risk of Covid-19 were evident when the players took to the pitch - GETTY IMAGES
And again during it as social distancing was observed on the bench - GETTY IMAGES
And again during it as social distancing was observed on the bench - GETTY IMAGES

This was the first free-to-air football match shown in the UK since play was halted worldwide but it was, moreover, the start of a gruelling schedule for these players. Most of them will play eight games in five weeks, and featured here after just over a week of full-team training. The potential for injuries is unignorable and niggles constantly at the back of the mind, even as Bayern’s forward Mandy Islacker snapped a volley wide with just over 15 minutes left as the game edged to its conclusion.

The demand that all players enter quarantine for a whole week before game one - they are tested twice a week -  has proved difficult for a league that is not yet fully-professional. Hoffenheim head coach Jurgen Ehrmann had to miss this game because he could not take time off from his main job as a teacher when his students are just weeks from their final exams and the pandemic has already caused a staff shortage.

That is not ideal preparation for a potential Champions League-place decider and there were moments here when Hoffenheim were unquestionably saved by Janina Leitzig, their 21-year-old goalkeeper. Her leap inside the first half, tumbling backwards to nudge Linda Dallmann’s well-timed volley to safety, was a huge let-off for a squad of an average age of 22, but for the most part they were canny and smart. Hoffenheim rode their luck, however, when Dallmann was roughly felled inside the area by Michaela Specht deep into the second half. The referee, close enough to touch the pair, probably should have pointed to the spot.

Match details

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Benkarth; Hendrich, Wenninger, Demann, Schweers; Lohmann (Leupolz 70), Magull; Gwinn, Dallmann, Simon (Beerensteyn 66); Islacker (Damjanovic 81)
Subs not used: Schluter (g), Sorensen, Ilestedt, Laudehr
Bookings: None
Goals: Hendrich 84, Damnjanović 87, Magull 90 + 3

Hoffenheim (3-4-1-2): Leitzig; Wienroither, Specht, Naschenweng (Hagel 80); Krumbeigel (Burger 86), Lattwein, Dongus (Harsch 74), Pankratz; Billa (Hartig 73); Waßmuth, Rall (Beuschlein 86)
Subs not used: Dick (g), Fuhner
Bookings: Specht 90 + 2