Potsdam, Wolfsburg win, Birmingham relieved

German rivals 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam and VfL Wolfsburg both showed good form on Sunday ahead of next Saturday's UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final, while Birmingham City LFC survived a scare and Tyresö FF lost.

Playing Frauen Bundesliga games brought forward a week due to their European commitments, Potsdam won 3-0 against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim thanks to goals from Ada Hegerberg, Julia Simic and Genoveva Añonma. Wolfsburg, meanwhile, saw off MSV Duisburg 6-0, Nadine Kessler, Alexandra Popp, Martina Müller, Verena Faisst, Lena Goessling and Anna Blässe the scorers.

Potsdam's seventh straight competition win since the winter break leaves them a point clear of 1. FFC Frankfurt and four ahead of Wolfsburg with four games to go. Also at the weekend, Frankfurt overcame SC Sand 2-0 to reach the 17 May German Cup decider in Cologne, where they face first-time finalists SGS Essen, who saw off SC Freiburg 1-0 in extra time.

Birmingham were also in knockout action, beginning their domestic fixtures for 2014 with a 3-1 FA Women's Cup last-16 win against second-tier Doncaster Rovers Belles LFC at their new Solihull home. Remi Allen, who scored home and away against Arsenal LFC in the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-finals on her first two Birmingham appearances, kept up that run early on but Leandra Little equalised with 17 minutes to go.

However, Kirsty Linnett and Jo Potter struck late to take Birmingham through to the quarter-finals where they have been drawn at home to Arsenal on 4 May; before that on Wednesday they start their FA Women's Super League campaign against Everton LFC at Solihull, where they welcome Tyresö on Saturday. Tyresö themselves began their Damallsvenskan fixtures on Sunday after a difficult winter. Missing injured Caroline Seger and Marta, they fell 2-0 at Kristianstadd DFF.