Deutsche Welle (English edition)
Women’s Bundesliga round-up: Bayern relentless, Turbine Potsdam show their mettle
Turbine Potsdam bounced back after a winless streak and Bayern Munich made it 22 straight wins to remain in control at the top of the table. Wolfsburg also won on a weekend when they stood up for diversity.
Turbine Potsdam bounce back
Women's Bundesliga side Turbine Potsdam managed to bounce back after four winless games in a row in a crazy game against SC Sand this past weekend. The Brandenburg club won 5-2 in the end – and they scored all seven goals! Five at the right end and two own goals turned it into a real roller coaster ride.
One player that stood out yet again was forward Selina Cerci. The 20-year-old scored twice — both times in Sand's goal — and is currently Potsdam's top scorer with six goals in 15 games. An impressive number considering the German is only playing in her second Bundesliga season. She joined Potsdam from Werder Bremen in the summer break and had also played for Holstein Kiel, Magderburger FFC and Bayern Munich's second team in the past. She played in the Bundesliga with Bremen in 2018/2019 and grabbed five goals in 13 games, but wasn't able to avoid relegation that time.
Scoring 13 goals in 14 games in the 2. Bundesliga the season after helped her attract attention from several top clubs in the league. She is known as one of the brightest upcoming talents in Germany and will only improve by playing for a team like Potsdam. She is already very aware of her role on the field, brings a lot of pace and can anticipate situations well – and she's clinical in front of goal when given the chance. If she keeps improving, she's definitely a player German national team Coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has to take a look at. Germany has a great talent pool already, but it's positive knowing that there are a lot of different options and talents playing in the home league.
Bayern roll on
In the quarterfinals of the Champions League, Wolfsburg will take on their former teammate and star player Pernille Harder, whose current club Chelsea just won the Continental League Cup on Sunday in a dominant 6-0 victory over Bristol City. Meanwhile, Bayern drew Swedish side FC Rosengard, with the Munich side handed the more manageable task.
Wolfsburg have faced Chelsea three times already in knockout duels and won each time, but times have changed and the English club have invested a lot in their team. The London club has a whole different mentality while Wolfsburg are still struggling to find their best form. Wolfsburg will need to be at their best to neutralize Chelsea's immense attacking options with players like Bethany England, Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder. On the other hand, it will be a challenge for the London side to get Wolfsburg‘s pace under control.
It‘s going to be a tough two games for both German teams nonetheless and if they make it through, they will face each other in the semifinals. Bayern are enjoying an outstanding season and remain on top of the Bundesliga table after 16 games and still haven't lost a game. Having scored a total of 62 goals and only conceding three underlines the danger they bring but also how well organized they are in the back. Five points clear of Wolfsburg in second place, Bayern are clearly the favorites for the title.
They are on their way to become one of the top teams in Europe and will use the Champions League to let everybody on the biggest stage know that they need to be taken seriously. Twotime Champions League winners VfL Wolfsburg have already earned their respect in Europe, but it's obvious that another German team will follow now.
Wolfsburg play for diversity
For the fourth year in a row, Wolfsburg and Volkswagen have joined forces with the Autostadt, a visitor attraction adjacent to the VW factory in Wolfsburg, to send out a colourful statement in support of diversity, underlining their social responsibility and status as role models.
In addition to that, both the Volkswagen Arena, the AOK Stadion and the Autostadt were decked out in colourful flags and, at times, even colourfully illuminated. Wolfsburg‘s home games fell during the International Week Against Racism and both the women's and men's team wore rainbow themed jerseys during their games against Leverkusen and Schalke. Using the slogan "For Diversity. Against Discrimination", Wolfsburg regularly makes colourful statements in favour of an open society.
Unfortunately, nowadays the fight against racism, homophobia, sexism, and all sorts of discrimination still occurs. Football stars around the globe are role models for the young and old – but not all of the responsibility should rely on stars to get the message across. Everybody can take part. Don't look away when you witness discrimination and instead speak out, stand up, and report. If you're being discriminated against yourself, don't hesitate to reach out for help. This is a fight we can only win together.