SGS Essen were clearly beaten by runners-up VfL Wolfsburg on the final matchday of the women’s Bundesliga. The women of MSV Duisburg are relegated without a win.

The women’s Bundesliga also came to an end on Whit Monday with the 22nd and final matchday. The championship was already out of FC Bayern’s grasp and everything was also clear in the basement. The two relegated teams, 1. FC Nürnberg and MSV Duisburg, met in a direct duel.

MSV wanted to say goodbye in the last game with their first win of the season – but they did not succeed. Shortly before the break, Medina Desic gave FCN the lead (41′), which Lara Schmidt extended in the closing stages (81′). Taryn Ries’ goal in the second minute of stoppage time came too late. The Zebras suffered a 2-1 away defeat, leaving them with a meagre four draws and 18 defeats without a three-pointer as they head into League Two.

The season was much more successful for SGS Essen, the last all-women’s club to continue to perform well. However, there was another heavy defeat at the end. Markus Högner’s team lost 6-0 at runners-up and cup winners VfL Wolfsburg.

Early double strike, early sending off

Chantal Hagel (10) and Ewa Pajor (11) opened the scoring early on in the Wolves’ home win. When SGS keeper Sophia Winkler was sent off for an emergency brake in the 20th minute, everything was finally clear.

Pajor, who is leaving VfL in the summer, completed her hat-trick with two more goals before the break (24-35) and Vivien Endemann made it 5-0 from Essen’s point of view at half-time (45-33).

After the break, ten Essen players put up a much better fight against VfL, who were only successful once more. Jule Brand scored in the 83rd minute to make it 6:0.

However, the defeat cannot overshadow an impressive season for Essen. Because TSG Hoffenheim lost 4-1 at champions FC Bayern, SGS finished the season in fourth place. In 20 years in the Bundesliga, that has only happened once before: In the 2018/19 season, Essen finished behind Wolfsburg, Bayern and Turbine Potsdam. The club has never done better.

However, fourth place in the women’s Bundesliga is not enough for international business. The top trio of Munich, Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt will also be competing there next year.