Schwers: That's Big Steps for women's football

Finally, it starts again in the women's Bundesliga. The starting game on Friday does not deny the master as usual, for tension is still taken care of. At the Derby meeting on Friday (19:15, live! At Hoffenheim) the TSG Hoffenheim and the SC Freiburg on each other. I would like to start with the Hoffenheimers who have survived the first qualifying round in the Champions League with two strong games and now meet the FC Rosengard from Sweden. A great performance of Hoffenheimers who confirm that their way goes further up. I wish that the team also takes a strong role in the league and put pressure on the two Arrived teams from Munich and Wolfsburg. The league needs tension, the product has to improve - as well as Hoffenheim in my view is able.

FC Bayern's women returned from the United States to Monday morning from the Women's Cup in Louisville and therefore apart from a starting game on Friday. Instead, the FCB starts on Sunday against Werder Bremen in the league. There are new faces: including the Japanese Saki Kumagai from Olympique Lyon or the Olympics Silver Medal Winner Sofia Jakobsson from Sweden, who recently laced the shoes for Real Madrid.

Kumagai as a real support in Munich?

Both players have a great deal of experience, which will definitely help the team for the coming season. Especially Kumagai can be a real help for the team of coach Jens Scheuer with her quiet and dropped out of style. The Bayern are now very well occupied in the width. With Giulia Gwinn and Jovana Damjanovic, two players are ready for cruciate library again, both have given their comeback already in season preparation. It seems to me as if the women of Bayern went back to the new season after a strong last season with a very well established and balanced squad in the new season.

Highly motivated also seems the VfL Wolfsburg. The former serial master has to do everything, to make it as difficult as possible to Bayern as much as possible. I know that the team wants to recover the championship title with all means. For this mission is a new coach in the Office: Tommy Stroot came as successor to Stephan Lerch of Twente Enschede.

The VfL was also able to secure the services of three Dutch women: Jill Roord, Lynn Wilms and Joelle Smits. All three belonged to the Olympics of the Netherlands. The German nationalists Lena Latteine, Tabea Waßmut, Sandra Strong and Turid Knaak, as well as the former national goalkeeper Lisa White complete the team, which will come up with a new face.

Goalkeeping position in Wolfsburg exciting

The goalkeeper position remains an exciting topic in Wolfsburg. Almuth's shoulder is precipitated for the start of the season, but in my view after her return, an important building block in Stroots first eleven. It will generally be exciting to see how the team will find themselves after the upheaval with seven outlets and the enumerated newcomers. In the last test against Bavaria 04 Leverkusen knew the team with a crashing 5: 1 to convince.

It remains to be seen if another team can get into the championship race. As already mentioned, I hope for Hoffenheim a lot in the new season. But I do not believe that the constancy will range over a whole season. I tap an open race between Hoffenheim and the two traditional clubs Eintracht Frankfurt and Turbine Potsdam around 3rd place - combined with the qualification for the Champions League.

Does the 1st FC Cologne last the League for the first time?

With the 1st FC Cologne and the FF UPS Jena, two well-known teams are back in the league. Since the playful difference between the first and second leagues is known to be very large, both teams will first have to get used to the pace in the upper house. Especially the 1st FC Cologne I would wish that he can now hold the league for the first time. The FC has reinforced very well for the last season and has many players with Bundesliga experience in his ranks.

And there is good news for the fans: In terms of visibility, something has finally done in Germany. Streaming services like Dazn, Magenta TV or YouTube, as well as the payment transmitter Sky invest and seem to have recognized the potential in women's football. Although the marketing of English women's football can still not be kept in Germany, but it is always a very good start.

All Games of the Women's Champions League are shown live on YouTube / Dazn, all Bundesliga games live on magenta sports. Also, Sky finally moves with and sends a top game of the DFB Cup per Round. Big Steps for women's football in Germany.

Bayern is the favorite for me

The league starts from external representation. Personally, I'm looking forward to an exciting season with many highlights. My forecasts: Bayern and Wolfsburg make this season the title again among themselves, my favorite comes back from Munich. The teams from Hoffenheim, Frankfurt, Potsdam and possibly Leverkusen can finally annoy the big ones and ensure tension this season. The 1st FC Cologne will not get anything to do with the descent. On the other hand, Jena, sand and possibly also Freiburg is a very heavy season.

The DFB Cup has its charm. I believe: The serial winners from Wolfsburg are replaced.

Verena Schwers

Verena Schwers played in the Bundesliga for the SC Freiburg and the top clubs VfL Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich. Among other things, she won twice the Champions League and the German Championship. The defender also completed 47 international matches for the DFB selection. In the summer of 2020 she finished her active career.