Bayern Munich open Frauen Bundesliga season with win over Turbine Potsdam

Bayern Munich kicked off their Frauen Bundesliga title defense with a 3-1 victory over Turbine Potsdam in the first match the season. Sara Däbritz came off the bench and scored twice to lead the short-handed FCB to a flattering 3-1 scoreline.

Turbine started the match strong and had the upper hand for large portions of the first half. Tinja-Riikka Korpela had the sun her eyes throughout the period and was lucky to watch several shots from the Potsdam attackers go wide of her post.

With three of their best attacking players out with injuries, FC Bayern tried to rely on longer passes into space up top for Vivianne Miedema to run on to and create something from basically nothing. Miedema couldn't quite put everything together

At the start of the second half, Potsdam came out strong and hit FCB on the counter. Tabea Kemme shot up the left flank and whipped in a cross to the penalty area. Elise Kellond-Knight streaked into the penalty area snapped a first time shot and caught a wrong-footed Korpela off balance to give Turbine the 1-0 lead over the defending champions.

The goal seemed to kickstart Bayern's offense. Lisa Evans played a ball to the top of the box where Miedema had posted up her defender. Evans followed the pass and received the ball back before streaking into the box. She streaked past the Potsdam defense before depositing the ball into the back of the net to pull FC Bayern level.

Have you met Sara Däbritz? The Germany international joined FC Bayern from Freiburg over the summer and made a big splash in her first competitive match with the Bavarians. Däbritz gave FCB the 2-1 lead with a diving header on a cross from Leonie Maier in the 76th minute. She grabbed her second goal of the match a few minutes later, when she smashed home a cross from Evans after a swift counter.

The win wasn't the prettiest, but grabbing a victory over a club like Potsdam on the opening day while missing some of the club's best players is a great sign. The list of FC Bayern players that are currently injured isn't a short list and includes some big hitters including Mana Iwabuchi, Lena Lotzen, Katharina Baunach, Sarah Romert and Vero Boquete.

Bayern return to the field September 6 with a visit to newly promoted FC Köln.

Match Details

Bayern Munich (3-1) Turbine Potsdam

FCB: Lisa Evans (65), Sara Däbritz (76, 84)
TP: Elise Kellond-Knight (51)

Bayern XI: Korpela - Manieri (Schnaderbeck 35), Holstad, Abbé - Lewandowski, Leupolz, Behringer, Maier - Bürki (Däbritz 57), Evans - Miedema (Rolser 82)

Potsdam XI: Fischer - Kulis, Wesely, Siwinska - Kemme, Wälti, Kellond-Knight Schmidt (Makanza 76) - Hanebeck - Mauro, Huth (Schwalm 76)