Bayern emerged victorious over Bayer, securing their win through two goal-scoring performances, in the presence of a crowd setting a new attendance record.
In a historic match at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich's women's team began their Bundesliga campaign with a 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen. The game, which attracted a record-breaking crowd of 57,762 spectators, saw Bayern showcasing their attacking prowess in the second half, after a somewhat lacklustre first.
Before the match, Roberto Pätzold, Leverkusen's coach, expressed his desire for a great game, and while his team put up a valiant effort, it was Bayern who lived up to the promise. The Bavarians struggled to create chances in the first half, showing little creativity and playing wit. Giulia Gwinn, the DFB captain, voiced her concerns about the team's performance, citing the large crowd and Leverkusen's freer play as potential factors.
Bayern's fortunes changed in the second half, thanks to the introduction of Klara Bühl. The wing player, brought in to replace Schüller, scored the second goal for Bayern shortly after the first, calmly finishing from five meters. Bühl's introduction brought freshness and pace into Bayern's error-prone game, helping them to dominate the second half.
The opening goal for Bayern came from a corner kick, with Gilles scoring after being set up by Bühl. Pernille Harder was also introduced by coach José Barcala, signalling another change in Bayern's strategy.
Leverkusen, despite showing secure defense and some combination play in the first half, struggled to find the back of the net. Ruby Grant had the best chance for Leverkusen after 20 minutes, but missed against Ena Mahmutovic in the Bayern goal. Jovana Damnjanovic came close to scoring for Leverkusen after 68 minutes, hitting the crossbar.
Lilla Turanyi was denied a penalty after a shirt pull from Magdalena Eriksson, a decision that could have potentially changed the course of the game. Carlotta Wamser, the new Leverkusen player, initiated numerous attacks from the right defense, but it was not enough to prevent Bayern from securing the victory.
The new coach of Bayern Munich's women's football team, José Barcala, a Spanish coach who joined from Swiss club Servette FC Chênois Féminin in 2025, will be hoping for a more consistent performance from his team in their future matches. Barcala, who brought new ideas for modern women's football to Munich, visibly showed frustration with the team's performance in the first half, but will be pleased with the turnaround in the second.
This victory marks a positive start for Bayern Munich, who will be aiming to defend their Bundesliga title this season. Leverkusen, on the other hand, will look to learn from this match and improve in their future outings.
