Yavuz turns the game around: Viktoria beat Andernach 2-1

Overcast skies over Lichterfelde, 18 degrees and gusty wind: in front of 512 spectators, FC Viktoria Berlin hosted SG 99 Andernach on matchday 3 of the 2nd Women's Bundesliga. Wearing sky blue against the dark blue-clad visitors, Miren Ćatović's side found themselves chasing an early deficit at first – but in the end came away with a 2-1 (0-1) home win, for which one player in particular was responsible: Senanur Yavuz.

Penalty rebound puts Andernach ahead

The match began with a warning shot for Viktoria: in the 6th minute, Andernach found themselves completely unmarked a few metres from goal, but Toma Ihlenburg made a superb goal-line clearance. Four minutes later, the same player had the lead on her head – after a corner from the right, Ihlenburg met the ball unmarked, but it drifted narrowly wide of the left-hand post.

Then the turning point: in the 12th minute, Katharina Krist pulled the Andernach striker back by her shirt, and the referee awarded a penalty. Hannah Etzold made a strong save from the spot-kick, but the rebound fell to Narjiss Ahamad, who tucked it in to make it 1-0 to the visitors.

The following twenty minutes were mixed. Andernach had the clearer chances, but Viktoria also kept mounting good attacks and worked their way back into the game from the half-hour mark, without initially looking dangerous enough. The hosts' best opportunity before the break came in the 37th minute, when Leyila Aydin got the better of her marker on the right and squared the ball low into the middle, but Christin Meyer couldn't find the net. The teams went in at 0-1.

Yavuz's brace turns the game around

Viktoria came out of the break much the stronger side. As early as the 49th minute, Christin Meyer tested Andernach's goalkeeper, who was again equal to it. The equaliser was in the air – and it came in the 55th minute: Senanur Yavuz drove through the middle and fired the ball low into the right-hand corner to make it 1-1. From then on it was one-way traffic. In the 70th minute Yavuz tried her luck from distance, with Andernach's goalkeeper standing well off her line – the ball was steered just wide of the goal. Just a minute later, Yavuz did better, lifting the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 2-1. Shortly afterwards, in the 73rd minute, the double goalscorer was substituted to applause, making way for Kim Urbanek.

Andernach posed almost no threat at all in the closing stages, while Viktoria repeatedly went close to a third goal. Maja Wasiak came on for Leyila Aydin in the 84th minute, and in the 88th minute Anna Höfker marked her return to the pitch after a long spell out injured, replacing Christin Meyer. A last surge from the visitors in stoppage time produced no notable chance – at the final whistle, it was a deserved 2-1 home win, underlined too by the 7-2 corner count.

Summary and outlook

Following their cup win at Warbeyen, Viktoria have continued their good form in the league too, with six points on the board after three matchdays. The response to the early setback is particularly encouraging. Next up is an away trip to 1. FC Köln II on Sunday, 30 August, kicking off at 2pm.

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Goals:

0-1 Narjiss Ahamad (13')

1-1 Senanur Yavuz (55')

2-1 Senanur Yavuz (71')

Starting line-up:

Etzold (GK) – Klotz, Ihlenburg, Fürst, Reuter, Grincenco, Meyer (88' Höfker), Krist, Stöckmann (C), Yavuz (73' Urbanek), Aydin (84' Wasiak)