Bayern Munich win over Frankfurt underlines duopoly

The stakes were clear even before Bayern's Sarah Zadrazil set the tone with a crunching early tackle: The winner would continue on with their title challenge, the loser would have to admit defeat.

Eintracht were lively, zipping around frenetically with quick, short passing and harrassing their opponents out of possession. When the pressure was intense however, they fell short.

"We're close in terms of potential," Laura Freigang told DW post-match. "But when it really counts, we need to score goals and win the games. We don't always want to say that we did quite well."

Frankfurt did much better than quite well; they tackled the match with energy and enthusiasm. But Freigang's frustrations were valid. 

Led by a barking Niko Arnautis on the sidelines, who more than once traded barbs with the Bayern bench, Frankfurt were not outclassed. And yet they still struggled to take control of the match when it was within their grasp. Breaking apart the Bundesliga duopoly of Bayern and Wolfsburg remains a step too far.

"What makes the difference at this level is actually winning games," Freigang added."It doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to be effective. And that's the step forward that we need to take."

Calm Bayern wrestle back control

For Bayern it was a test of character as much as quality as they remained calm in the face of their hectic opposition. With their backs against the wall, they stuck true to their system and gradually asserted their dominance.

“That was important for us, to play our own game," captain Lina Magull told DW. "When you realize that the game is somehow hectic or chaotic, then you need to find a way to set the rhythm."

Bayern slowed the game down and looked to stretch their opponents as they grabbed control of the match. And after weathering that opening Eintracht onslaught, they took the lead when center-back Goddis Viggosdottir ghosted into the box to head home from a corner in the 25th minute.

"It was important to score the goal from a set piece, because sometimes that helps when a game is going back and forth," Magull said.

Magull and Zadrazil had golden chances to put Bayern further ahead in the first half, but the decisive goal finally arrived in the 79th minute. With Eintracht pushing forward, Lea Schüller made a clever, darting run behind the defense and finished one-on-one against Stina Johannes.

Bayern Munich keep title hopes alive

Lara Prasnikar's strike from a Freigang backheel in the 82nd minute to make it 2-1 proved a mere consolation. The visitors just didn't have enough to break their way through. It was a similar story in the 0-0 draw between these two sides on the Bundesliga's opening matchday.

Alexander Strauss has forged the league's best defense in Munich, built on the partnership of Viggosdottir and Tainara. Bayern have now conceded just four goals in 12 Bundesliga matches and that structural backbone allows the team to ride through waves of pressure when they're not at their best.

"Our defense has been really important this season. Because sometimes we play risky up front and when we lose the ball we need it," Magull said.

"Frankfurt are really strong on the counter attack, so it was really important to have good protection and a good defensive structure."

Bayern could and should have won by a larger margin. Klara Bühl stung Stina's hands from a freekick midway through the second half, before Carolin Simon saw an effort smack back off the post. 

They could have been forgiven a bit of rustiness after the team's restart to the season got off to a rocky start with an abandoned match against Turbine Potsdam last weekend. Yet the stuttered preparations didn't seem to phase them as they once again stamped their mark over their domestic rivals.

Wolfsburg remain in the driving seat at the top of the Bundesliga, but this result means a title race is still on the cards. For Bayern, that is. Eintracht will have to wait another year to see if they can raise their game to the next level.

Edited by: Matt Pearson