Drama at the top of Women's Bundesliga continues

Weakness on show at the top, again

With a poor 1-1 draw in Leverkusen that could well have been a defeat, Wolfsburg opened the door for their rivals.

Wolfsburg demonstrated the same problems they showed earlier in the season as they were too slow, uninspired and predictable in attack. They offered hardly any threat to goal.

However, a sensational Leverkusen performance also played a big role in their struggles. For a team that suffered two 7-1 defeats recently, Leverkusen looked mentally free and defensively focused. They took the fight to Wolfsburg.

"We were a bit helpless. That is not what we normally can do," stated Wolfsburg goalkeeper Lisa Weiß, who herself was not free of blame.

Wolfsburg's lapse was not capitalized on though. Bayern Munich could only manage a 1-1 draw against Potsdam, with third-placed Hoffenheim posting the same score against Sand. Frankfurt, trying to stay in touch in fourth, shockingly lost to Werder Bremen.

That left the top of the table largely unchanged. A lack of consistency at the top means that a very exciting second half of the season beckons. The table is closer than ever, although not at the bottom because Sand and Jena look beyond saving.

Cologne, the surprise team we all expected

Many experts predicted Cologne would have a strong season, and given the investment into the team that appeared obvious.

"With Cologne, we're not talking about a normal newly-promoted team, they already invested a lot last year," said Freiburg head coach Daniel Kraus.

The team is built around star striker Mandy Islacker, Sharon Beck, who signed from Freiburg in 2020, and top talents such as Weronika Zawistowska, who joined on loan from Bayern Munich. All of that makes them more of a midtable team than a newly-promoted side fighting to avoid relegation.

Cologne were overqualified for the second division, but you only need to look at Hertha Berlin to see that you can spend a lot and still struggle. In Cologne, the investments have been smart and the team has quickly adjusted to the level of the Bundesliga. Their impressive performances make them a surprise team once more.

A last-minute equalizer denied them a win against Freiburg, but thanks to the 2-2 draw Cologne have 12 points after 11 games for the first time ever.

"We want to be a regular feature of this league," Cologne head coach Sascha Glass has said many times this season.

Cologne were attacking and fun to watch, and often looked to play their way out from the back. In the first half, they successfully and quickly bypassed midfield before Freiburg reminded them in the second half of a rough game that they still had some work to do to establish themselves in this league. That work is being done though, as the development of 19-year-old goalkeeper talent Pauline Nelles shows.

Football romance in England

Clapton Community made history when they became the first seventh-division side to reach the third round of the Women's FA Cup in England.

Having beaten Hounslow FC, a team that plays four divisions higher than them, Clapton earned themselves a tie against Plymouth Argyle.

For the fan-owned club, the fairytale came to an end against Plymouth as the favorites sealed a 5-0 win. To meet the cost of playing away, the club set up a crowdfunding appeal, and got the money they needed within 24 hours.

The smaller teams can have their moments, but their successes don't rattle the system. Instead, they solidify the situation: small teams can have their moment in the sun, but they still stay at the bottom of the hierarchy in the long term. At the same time, such successes do at least offer teams the chance at history and to capture the hearts of new fans. Because even in the women's game, there's no chance for democratic clubs to reach the top.