Arsenal will need to come from behind to progress to the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League after losing the first leg of their tie with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
Lea Schuller’s powerful 39th-minute header gave Bayern the advantage on a frustrating evening for the Gunners.
Jonas Eidevall’s side, chasing a first semi-final spot in a decade, came close to an equaliser on several occasions.
Schuller was a standout performer, also chipping just wide in the first half.
Bayern’s top scorer beat Laura Wienroither at the back post and thumped her header past Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger as the hosts took advantage of their growing pressure in the first half.
Further opportunities fell to England international Georgia Stanway, who struck wide from long range for Bayern, while Arsenal’s best chance came when Caitlin Foord curled an effort onto the post just after half-time.
Australian Foord was Arsenal’s biggest threat on the night, testing goalkeeper Maria Luisa Grohs twice later in the second half before Stina Blackstenius’ looping header and Leah Williamson’s strike were both desperately cleared off the goalline by Bayern.
Arsenal had several appeals for a penalty waved away as Foord’s shot in the first half might have hit a hand, Rafaelle Souza’s shirt might have been pulled back during Blackstenius’ chance and there appeared to be a deliberate pass back to the goalkeeper after Williamson’s shot was cleared.
The Gunners have fallen at the quarter-final stage in their past three European campaigns but will hope to avoid the same outcome in the second leg at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, 29 March (kick-off 20:00 BST).
Bayern last reached the semi-finals in 2020-21 before losing 5-3 to Chelsea.
“From a performance perspective, the players were brilliant, brave and good on the ball,” said Arsenal boss Eidevall.
“They displayed Arsenal in a really good way in the second half. We will try to do everything in our power to turn this around next week.”
Missed chances as Bayern hold on
Despite dropping out of a Champions League qualification spot in the Women’s Super League table in recent weeks, Arsenal had momentum going into this tie, impressing in the group stages and having won the League Cup earlier this month.
A 5-1 win over eight-time winners Lyon was the highlight for Eidevall’s side, who topped Group C with four victories, while Bayern finished behind Barcelona on goal difference, having won all but one of their matches.
The Gunners started on the front foot but were sloppy as Blackstenius and Frida Maanum squandered chances.
Bayern began to put pressure on Arsenal’s defence with Schuller’s movement causing problems and she should have made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time when she chipped a shot inches wide.
But Arsenal were comfortably the better side in the second half as they chased an equaliser – Bayern only coming close again in the final minutes when goalkeeper Zinsberger pulled off an impressive double save to deny Maximiliane Rall.
With a potential league decider against rivals Wolfsburg to come at the weekend, Bayern brought off key players Stanway, captain Lina Magull and goalscorer Schuller before full-time – the latter having picked up a knock – but were able to hold on impressively against a determined Arsenal late on.
Arsenal will take encouragement from the number of chances they created in the second half but on too many occasions already this season their lack of ruthlessness in front of goal has proven costly and they will need to avoid the same at Emirates Stadium next week.
Source – BBC Sport
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