In a game that was at times strange, the VfL Wolfsburg women’s soccer team experienced disappointment right at the start of the Bundesliga season. Coach Tommy Stroot’s team surprisingly only managed a 3:3 (1:2) draw against Werder Bremen on the first match day. This meant that the cup winners had to accept the first setback in the expected title fight with German champions Bayern Munich right at the start.
National player Sarai Linder (11th) gave Wolfsburg an early lead. But, aided by weaknesses in VfL’s defense, the visitors turned the game around before half-time with goals from Tuana Mahmoud (35th) and new signing Larissa Mühlhaus (40th). After VfL equalized through Lena Lattwein (61st), Werder took the lead again a minute later – again with active help from the favorites: Janina Minge passed back to goalkeeper Merle Frohms, but the ball rolled past Frohms, whose attempted save was no longer enough to prevent the score from becoming 2:3.
Four minutes later, Bremen goalkeeper Livia Peng shot at national player Alexandra Popp. The ball flew – clearly visible on television – onto the line of the Werder goal and, thanks to the spin, back into the field. Nevertheless, referee Nadine Westerhoff decided it was a goal. There is no video evidence in the women’s Bundesliga.
The Bremen team, which was severely weakened by a lack of replacements, continued to hold out and, after Lara Schmidt’s yellow-red card (88th minute), even managed to save the unexpected draw against the overall disappointing Wolfsburg team despite being outnumbered.
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