Reuter decides the top-of-the-table clash: Viktoria beat league leaders Essen 1-0 and climb to the top of the standings

FC Viktoria Berlin won the top-of-the-table clash against SGS Essen 1-0 (0-0) on matchday 7 of the Women's 2. Bundesliga. In doing so, they handed the previously unbeaten Bundesliga relegatees their first defeat of the season and celebrated their sixth consecutive competitive win. With 18 points, Viktoria take over first place for now!

Cloudy skies over Lichterfelde, 18 degrees and 507 spectators in the stadium: dressed in light blue, coach Miren Ćatović's side hosted the white-clad league leaders from the Ruhr region. For one player it was a very special encounter: Vanessa Fürst faced her former club, with whom she had still been playing in the Women's Bundesliga in May, and started the match.

Viktoria pile on the pressure from the first minute

Viktoria took control from kickoff. As early as the 3rd minute, Antonia Halverkamps tested the Essen goalkeeper with a dangerous shot from distance, winning the first of many corners. Melina Reuter was almost impossible to stop on the right wing and kept putting balls into the middle, but at first there was no one to finish them.

In the 11th minute, it almost went off with a bang: after a direct counterattack, Viktoria hit only the post. A veritable series of corners followed between the 13th and 19th minutes, during which Essen barely got out of their own half. Halverkamps also tried her luck from distance again in the 19th minute.

Essen find no answer to a strong defense

The visitors tried to make things happen mainly with switches of play and down the right side, but found no recipe against Viktoria's well-organized defense. In the 28th minute, the Essen goalkeeper was called upon again and made a strong save from a Viktoria shot. Christin Meyer forced two more corners with plenty of pressure in the 34th minute, while an Essen effort in the 41st minute was too harmless. Shortly before the break, one last dangerous Viktoria ball sailed just past the far post. So despite clear superiority, it was 0-0 as the teams went into the dressing rooms.

Reuter rewards the effort

Viktoria kept up the pressure after the restart as well. In the 48th minute, Reuter again whipped the ball in sharply from the right, but Meyer's shot was blocked. Then, in the 54th minute, the moment finally arrived: Leyila Aydin broke through with a strong individual run and played a through ball to Meyer. The Essen goalkeeper was still able to save her shot, but Reuter was on hand and easily slotted in the rebound for 1-0!

Essen responded with a double substitution and had their best chance in the 63rd minute, but Melanie Wagner made a strong save. On the Viktoria side, too, coach Ćatović gradually brought on fresh legs: Chantal Schouwstra (61st), Aneta Polášková (68th), Nina Ehegötz (69th) and Kim Urbanek (82nd) all came into the game.

Viktoria see out the win with composure

In the closing stages, Essen had more possession, but nothing truly dangerous came of it. Viktoria defended passionately and let nothing through at the back. Even in five minutes of stoppage time, the defense held firm against two Essen corners, loudly cheered on by the fans. There was one brief scare in the 94th minute, when Wagner was fouled hard and needed treatment. After 97 minutes, the deserved home win in the top-of-the-table clash was secured!

Looking ahead: cup showdown against Leverkusen – come along!

There's not much time to catch your breath, because next Sunday, September 27, at 2 p.m., the next highlight awaits at Stadion Lichterfelde: in the first main round of the DFB-Pokal, we welcome Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen! Against a top-flight opponent, in front of all of Germany on the ZDF livestream and with the round of 16 in sight, every voice in the stands counts. Last year, the first main round against Eintracht Frankfurt was the end of the road. This time, we want to pull off the upset with you behind us. So: everyone to Lichterfelde! Tickets are available at tickets.fcviktoria.com.

In the league, the next match follows on Sunday, October 4, at 2 p.m. at Grenzlandstadion against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

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Goal:

1:0 Reuter (54')

Starting XI:

Wagner, Ihlenburg, Fürst, Reuter (82' Urbanek), Grincenco, Meyer (69' Ehegötz), Krist, Halverkamps, Yavuz (61' Schouwstra), Aydin (68' Polášková), Casanovas