Bayern Munich Women wrapped up their perfect start to the season with a commanding 5-2 victory over Cologne at the FC Bayern Campus on Saturday. The hosts extended their winning streak to five matches, moving further clear at the top of the Women's Bundesliga table with 15 points from five games. Cologne, sitting fourth with nine points, saw their unbeaten run in league action come to an end with this defeat.
Bayern struck early and often, with Jovana Damnjanovic opening the scoring after just four minutes. Edna Imade doubled the lead nine minutes later before adding her second goal in quick succession at the fifteen-minute mark. Cologne pulled one back on the stroke of half-time through Carolin Elsen at 45+2 minutes, but the visitors could only muster a second response through Beke Stener in the fifty-seventh minute.
The match opened up after the break with Bayern adding two more goals to seal the result. Alara Sehitler converted a penalty in the sixty-fifth minute, and Sarah Zadrazil made it five in the sixty-eighth. The visitors had three yellow cards to their name by the final whistle — Sandra Jessen booked at twenty-three minutes, followed by Laura Vogt and Marina Hegering in the closing stages.
Bayern controlled the tempo throughout, registering 140 attacks compared to Cologne's 61. The hosts completed 541 successful passes out of 606 attempts while Cologne managed 237 from 322. Bayern's shot accuracy of 64 per cent contrasted sharply with the visitors' 33 per cent, as they hit nine targets from twelve shots inside the penalty area.
Both sides made four substitutions during the contest. Bayern brought on Vanessa Gilles and Momoko Tanikawa at the interval, while the replacements included Linda Dallmann, Jovana Damnjanovic, Edna Imade, Sophie Nachtigall and Anna Gerhardt across the two halves. Cologne responded with changes of their own, bringing on Lydia Nunes Martins Andrade and others in an attempt to close the gap.
The result keeps Bayern at the summit of the table with a perfect record, while Cologne remain fourth but now trail by six points. The hosts have scored in every game this season, with recent victories including 3-2 against Bayer Leverkusen and 4-1 over Freiburg. Cologne's form has been mixed, with wins against Union Berlin and Mainz 05 but losses to Eintracht Frankfurt and others.
Bayern's dominance was reflected in the numbers — 65 per cent possession, two corners won and only six fouls committed. Cologne struggled to create clear opportunities, registering zero big chances despite three shots on target. The visitors made seventeen clearances compared to Bayern's fourteen, a sign of the pressure they faced throughout the ninety minutes.
The five-goal margin puts Bayern two points clear at the top with one game remaining in the regular season. Cologne's defeat means they can no longer challenge for the title, though they remain in contention for European qualification. The hosts will be looking to maintain their momentum when the season concludes.
