FC Bayern Women open new Bundesliga season in Potsdam

The wait is finally over as FC Bayern Women kick off the 2024/25 Google Pixel Bundesliga season away at Turbine Potsdam in Friday’s opening match. Kick-off at the Karl-Liebknecht-Stadion is at 5pm CEST. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our preview.

Latest news

After an intense pre-season with three wins from four friendly matches, Bayern started the new campaign with a trophy by beating Wolfsburg 1-0 last Sunday to lift the inaugural Google Pixel Supercup. Klara Bühl got the decisive goal for the Munich ladies.

Bayern now turn their attentions to continuing their impressive winning run in the Bundesliga and extending their perfect record in 2024 (12 wins from 12). History suggests the chances of that are good, given the defending champions are unbeaten in their last 13 meetings with Potsdam (W10, D3). The most recent encounter against the newly promoted side ended in an 11-1 thrashing on the final day of 2022/23 – Bayern’s biggest-ever victory in the Bundesliga.

Georgia Stanway in Bayern training.

Opponent: Turbine Potsdam

That 2022/23 campaign ended in relegation for Turbine, but they have bounced straight back to the Bundesliga. Coach Marc Gebhardt’s side played five matches during pre-season, claiming wins over Saarmund U19s (1-0) and a Guangdong XI (3-2), but captain Jennifer Cramer’s team lost to Wolfsburg’s reserves (2-1) and against Babelsberg (3-2), as well as a goalless draw with Austrian Bundesliga outfit Neulengbach.

Team news

Lena Oberdorf (cruciate ligament) and Katharina Naschenweng (knee joint) are both still unavailable for Friday’s opener and are now joined on the sideline by Franziska Kett (ankle). Ana Maria Guzman (knee) and Ena Mahmutovic (foot) are both back in training but not yet ready for the trip to Brandenburg. Alara Şehitler is in Colombia for the U20 World Cup, which begins on Sunday, alongside Laura Gloning and Sarah Ernst.

Head coach Alexander Straus is expecting a tight game to kick off the Bundesliga season.

Pre-match quotes

Alexander Straus: “We had to win in our last game against Potsdam to win the title, and Potsdam were already relegated. It’s now a very different situation. It’s the first game of the season, and I believe Potsdam have a lot of energy and will try to make things tough for us.”

Jovana Damjanovic: “Potsdam will come with new momentum. It won’t be an easy first game. It’s clear to us that our chance conversion and play in the final third can be better. We can definitely create more chances if we play the final pass better and are more focused in front of goal.”

Hear more from Straus and Damnjanovic at the pre-match press conference:

Press conference before Bundesliga opener at Turbine Potsdam