First Bundesliga win for RB Leipzig women's soccer team

RB Leipzig's women's soccer team celebrated its first Bundesliga win. On Friday evening, the promoted team came to a 3:2 (2:1) against SGS Essen in their home debut at Cottaweg. In front of 1164 spectators, Natascha Kowalski had put the Essen women in the lead with a directly converted free kick after six minutes. Vanessa Fudalla (15.) equalized with a lob from 16 meters, before Frederike Kempe (23.) turned the game in favor of RB after a Fudalla corner kick was deflected too short. After the break Fudalla (77.) used a positional error of Sophia Winkler in the Essener gate to 3:1. In the seventh minute of the injury time Ramona Maier succeeded in the connecting goal.

The Leipzigerinnen overslept the initial quarter hour. Essen dominated the ball and opponents, had the more mature game and was dangerous at all times. At 0:1 RB goalkeeper Elvira Herzog looked just as bad as Essen's Winkler at the equalizer. This changed the balance of power, even though both RB goals were rather coincidental. Essen needed something to recover, had by a post shot of Laura Pucks (18.) and by a shot of Maier (38.) defused by Herzog however further good chances on a second goal before the break.

Also after the change of sides Essen had more of the play, chances remained however long scarce. RB shifted to the defense of the narrow advantage, tried it with counterattacks, which were often poorly played out, however. On the other hand, the defensive behavior was definitely worthy of a first league team. With the third opportunity in the game RB put on 3:1.