Bayer Leverkusen 0-3 Bayern Munich (Frauen-Bundesliga): Full-time observations

Bayern Munich are one game away from the winter break, but the last one will be a tough Frauen-Bundesliga road test against sixth-place Bayer Leverkusen.

It has been a busy time for the Frauen, but success in the Champions League – direct qualification for the quarter-finals – and a strong league position should make for a festive holiday season. The Bavarians are still six points clear in the championship, while their regular opponents, VfL Wolfsburg, appear to be in inconsistent form although they are not that far behind.

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Leverkusen have had a solid campaign with seven wins and five losses to one draw, but they are also experiencing their ups and downs. If Bayern have their A-game, this should be a win to close out the year.

Prediction: Bayern wins 3-2. It gets a little nervy at the end of what has been a real challenge, but not enough for the Bavarians to drop points.

It’s Bayern time.

Match information

Location: Leverkusen, Germany

Time: 12:00 p.m. EST

Television/broadcast: Find your country

Full-time: Leverkusen 0-3 FC Bayern

How did this score arrive? Bayern won two more penalties in the second half and converted them both despite Leverkusen’s early pressure. The hosts were in disbelief in the third match, and the sidelines were shown a yellow card for their protests. Let’s hope this result isn’t grueling for them, because they don’t deserve it. Bayern, meanwhile, will gratefully take the extra +GD and of course the three points. It took a few moments of magic and a stroke of luck – that second penalty should not have been given – but it counts as an emphatic victory.

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Halftime: Leverkusen 0-1 FC Bayern

Animated display of hosts so far with nothing to show. Fraziska Kett scored the only goal of the match with a superb strike from Jovana Damnjanović and then helped create a dangerous situation in the box which resulted in a Bayern penalty. Pernille Harder, however, who won the penalty, was unable to step up and convert. The game remains in everyone’s hands: it’s Leverkusen with the most shots (6-4) as well as the most shots on target (3-2) despite Bayern dominating most other statistical categories, from ball possession to winning duels. As long as the Bavarians let their hosts trail, they can still lose points.

But when Bayern have the ball, they move it with reassuring clarity, thanks in particular to Momoko Tanikawa. It seems more likely that Bayern will double the advantage at the start of the second half rather than equalize.

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If you’re looking for more coverage on Bayern Munich and the German national team, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple or any other major podcast distributor…