The Südschlager (Battle of the South) has only just been settled, and now it's straight into the next challenge: just four days after their victory over VfB Stuttgart, FC Bayern Women are away to RB Leipzig. On Friday evening, head coach José Barcala’s team take on the side currently sitting sixth in the table at the Cottaweg training centre. Kick-off for the game on Matchday 8 of the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga is at 18:30 CEST.
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The return from the international break went perfectly for the Bayern women: at the FC Bayern Campus, they thrashed VfB Stuttgart 5–0 in their first-ever meeting, extending their winning run. They've now racked up seven Bundesliga wins this term – only in the 2020/21 season did they start the campaign with more; back then, the run only came to an end after 17 consecutive victories. Buoyed by this momentum, José Barcala’s team now travel to Saxony, where RB Leipzig await them.
From Bayern's perspective, their head-to-head record against the Red Bulls reads like a dream: six games, six wins, and a goal difference of 21:2. In fact, Leipzig have a worse goal difference against the Bavarians than against any other Budesliga side; on average, RB have conceded 3.5 goals against the Munich women. Last season, too, both matches finished in 3–0 wins. And on the road, the Munich Frauen have long been ploughing their own furrow: 22 consecutive Bundesliga wins – only Frankfurt managed more (27) between 2003 and 2006. Klara Bühl, too, heads to Leipzig with a special record: she's been directly involved in a goal in six consecutive league matches – a personal record at FC Bayern Women, something she had previously only managed for the Munich side at the turn of the year in 2023/24.
Alara has been shortlisted for the Golden Girl award:
Alara shortlisted for the 2026 Golden Girl award
The opposition: RB Leipzig
Seven matchdays in, RB Leipzig have established themselves in the upper reaches of the middle of the table, sitting in sixth place on ten points. Following a mixed start to the season, head coach Jonas Stephan’s side have recently gained significant momentum: their commanding 5–0 thrashing of newly-promoted Mainz was followed by a well-deserved 3–0 win at SC Freiburg. Leipzig scored eight goals, conceded none – and won two Bundesliga matches in a row for the first time this season.
This short spell of good form is part of a clear upward trend: The Leipzig women have picked up three wins in their last four league encounters - as many as they managed in their previous 20 Bundesliga games combined. RB have only managed more than two consecutive wins in the top flight once before: in April/May 2024, so the latest results have provided the team with some momentum.
Team news
Head coach Barcala is still without Lena Oberdorf (reaction in her knee), Jovana Damnjanović (muscle injury) and Giulia Gwinn (torn ligament) for the match against Leipzig. Vanessa Gilles, however, returns to the double champions’ squad after recovering from a muscle injury.
Pre-match thoughts
José Barcala: “Leipzig are one of those teams who play boldly from the back and are prepared to play their way out of pressure. At the same time, they have a great deal of variety in their game. That’s why we need to be prepared for different game situations. It will be crucial for us to identify the right moments and triggers for our pressing. We don’t want to defend passively, but we mustn’t lose the balance in our game either. To achieve this, everyone needs to be well organised. If we play as a cohesive unit and maintain the necessary control, we can pose challenges for Leipzig and create our own chances.”
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How the first ‘Südschlager’ went on Monday evening:
Victory in 'Battle of the South'! FCB women celebrate against Stuttgart