Duo's dominance under threat

The increasing strength of the Frauen-Bundesliga is there for all to see this season, with 1. FFC Frankfurt and 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam - the two German teams to have lifted the UEFA Women's Cup - facing stiff domestic competion from current leaders FCR 2001 Duisburg.

Duisburg form
The Ruhr valley side last denied Frankfurt or Potsdam the title in 1999/00, and possess both a blistering attack and a rock solid defence. Duisburg have scored 41 times in their eight Bundesliga appearances with Inka Grings, the leading scorer at UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2005™, having found the back of the net 16 times to surpass the 200-goal mark in league football.

Clean sheets
Fellow German international Silke Rottenberg, 33, has only been beaten twice this season - by SC 07 Bad Neuenahr and SG Essen-Schönebeck - and kept Potsdam at bay in a 0-0 draw on Matchday 7, the only meeting of the unbeaten three so far this season.

Perfect record
However, Duisburg cannot match Frankfurt's perfect record. The five-time and reigning German champions have won all six of their games this season and trail Duisburg by two points with two games in hand. Led by two-time FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Birgit Prinz and coach Dr Hans-Jürgen Tritschoks, the most experienced team in Germany are determined to earn more glory.

Semi-finals
On the last two weekends of November, Frankfurt take another break from domestic action as they play Montpellier HSC over two legs for a place in the final of the UEFA Women's Cup, a trophy they lifted in 2002. The holders Potsdam tackle Sweden's Djurgården/Älvsjö in a repeat of last season's final, meaning an all-German final could be on the cards. Potsdam are also yet to lose in the league, and trail Duisburg by six points with two games in hand.

Schröder optimistic
Last weekend, German Cup holders Potsdam booked their place in the quarter-finals - along with their two main rivals - by beating SG Lütgendortmund 7-1. Petra Wimbersky hit a hat-trick and coach Bernd Schröder made no secret of the fact that he is already dreaming of a treble. "Winning the UEFA Cup last season was obviously special but beating Frankfurt in the German Cup final was almost as good," said Schröder. "I would like to defend both titles this year and the championship is also up for the grabs."

Cup ties
In the cup quarter-finals in the first week of December, Potsdam welcome SC Sand, Frankfurt visit 1. FC Saarbrücken and Duisburg play top-flight opposition in Hamburger SV, themselves not yet out of the title race. By then it will be known if Potsdam and Frankfurt will be facing off for the European title. Exciting times, indeed.