No Way Through at Brentano-Bad: Viktoria Loses 1-0 to Eintracht Frankfurt II

On Matchday 12 of the Women's 2nd Bundesliga, FC Viktoria Berlin lost 0-1 (0-1) to Eintracht Frankfurt II, suffering their second loss of the season after nine consecutive wins.

Frankfurt Strikes Early

The sun was blinding, it was just 35°F, the field conditions were less than ideal, and 150 fans watched the game. Coach Miren Ćatović’s squad, in light blue, visited the red-and-black hosts at Stadion am Brentanobad. After the 5-0 win over Hertha BSC, Viktoria came in as the league leaders.

Only three minutes in, Viktoria were already trailing. Frankfurt transitioned quickly down the right, Jarne Teulings played Helene Schäfer through, and her cross from the end line landed in the six-yard box, where Vivienne Lia, who had made the run, pushed the ball over the line (3'). Things could have gotten even worse shortly after, when Schäfer ran in alone on goal, but Melanie Wagner made the save (9').

Viktoria Presses, Frankfurt Defends

After that, Viktoria had clearly more of the game and put the hosts under pressure right from the build-up. Katharina Krist had the first chance, but she shot over the bar after a pass across the six-yard box (6'). Laura Casanovas tried her luck from about 27 yards out (12'), and Polášková shot after a deflection inside the Frankfurt box, but goalkeeper Janne Krumme steered it out for a corner (19'). Frankfurt waited for counterattacks with long balls to Lia, and Schäfer’s chip went wide of the goal (29'). Toma Ihlenburg (30') and Anna Höfker (36') tried from distance, but both shots sailed over. Shortly before halftime, Krumme punched away a corner (42') and also saved Polášková’s long-range effort (44'). So it stayed 1-0.

Lots of Corners, No Payoff

Christin Meyer came on for Leyila Aydin at the start of the second half. Viktoria earned corner after corner (47', 50', 54', 54', 58'), but Höfker’s header went over (47'), and Melina Reuter’s first-time shot after a cross from the right was also too high (57'). Frankfurt stayed compact the entire game and gave up next to nothing. In the 67th minute, Ćatović made three substitutions: Sarah Stöckmann, Antonia Halverkamps, and Trinity Künzel came on for Vanessa Fürst, Reuter, and Krist.

Frankfurt Holds On to the Lead

The hosts didn’t just defend, though. After a counterattack, Wagner had to stretch to stop a header from Tessa Zimmermann (75'), and when Lia ran in alone on goal, Wagner saved her shot, which was placed too centrally (82'). At the other end, Leni Fischer, who had come on for Casanovas in the 75th minute, got a shot off in the box but sent it over the bar (85'). Even during the four minutes of stoppage time, Frankfurt threw everything into defense, and the hosts ended up with four yellow cards, three of them for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Despite the loss, Viktoria remains at the top of the table with 30 points, ahead of SGS Essen (26 points, one game in hand).

Next up is Sunday (Nov. 22) at Stadion Lichterfelde against Turbine Potsdam, with kickoff at 2:00 p.m. Come on out!

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Goal:

0:1 Lia (3')

Starting XI:

Wagner – Ihlenburg, Fürst (67' Stöckmann), Reuter (67' Halverkamps), Grincenco, Krist (67' Künzel), Höfker, Polášková, Ehegötz, Aydin (46' Meyer), Casanovas (75' Fischer)