Arsenal’s plans to defend their Women’s Champions League title have been scuppered after they collapsed in the second half against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Arsenal squandered an early two-goal lead as Bayern came from behind to win 3-2 at the Allianz Arena, handing the visitors their second defeat in three games in Europe’s elite club competition.
“It’s not good enough,” Arsenal manager Renee Sleggers said. “In the Champions League, we don’t want to concede three goals in the first half.”
Arsenal have fallen to 11th place 18 team Champions League standings At the halfway point of the new format, Barcelona were in the lead. Barcelona and Manchester United won on Wednesday, becoming the only team to win three in a row against OL Lyons, who beat Arsenal last month.
Barcelona won 3-0 at home against OH Leuven. The player who won the title in three of the past five seasons had 43 attempts on goal, compared to zero for the Belgian debutant.
Manchester United won 2-1 against 16th place Paris Saint-Germain, who have zero points. The top four teams in December will advance to the quarterfinals, and teams ranked 5th through 12th will participate in the final playoff round.
Bayern’s counterattack
After losing their opening game against Barcelona 1-7, Bayern responded with back-to-back wins.
“It’s an incredible feeling. These three points are very important for us,” said Bayern forward Pernille Harder. “After the first half, we were a little down and thinking, ‘What’s going on? Where are we?’
Bayern captain Grodis Vigosdottir completed the comeback in the 86th minute with a goal from a cross that deflected into the goalmouth.
Substitute Alara scored in the 67th minute and Pernille Harder scored with a deft left-footed loop in the 80th minute to equalize the game, with Arsenal in control. All three goals were assisted by German attacker Clara Bühl.
“I feel good, but a little relieved,” Bayern midfielder Georgia Stanway said. “I was very unsatisfied with the first half, but I think the second half was a completely different game and showed a lot of character.”
Stanway suggested that Bayern’s players were struggling to get used to playing in the club’s main stadium and tended to be “a bit too excited” in the first half.
American defender Emily Fox stepped up in the fifth minute and scored Arsenal’s first goal with a high-bouncing ball, and Mariona Caldenti added a superb second in the 23rd minute.
Caldenti Ballon d’Or runner-up In September, with perfect balance he found space on the edge of Bayern’s penalty area and fired a right-footed shot.
Yet Arsenal lost again in Munich, a year after Harder’s late hat-trick keyed a 5-2 rout. By the time the Gunners beat Barcelona in the final in May, it had proven to be little more than a footnote.
Barcelona have the upper hand
Barcelona dominated Leuven, but Alexia Putelas took the lead until stoppage time in the first half.
Left back Kim Everaerts’ own goal made it 2-0, and center back Irene Paredes deflected a header into the net from a corner kick.
“We have to be happy,” Paredes said. “Sure, maybe we deserved more (goals).”
french touch
Man United took the lead against PSG at Old Trafford as French forward Melvin Mallard beat former England goalkeeper Mary Earps to score.
PSG defender Olga Carmona – who won the 2023 World Cup final against England with a goal that beat her current team-mate Arps – scored a stunning equalizer from 25 meters (yards) out in first-half stoppage time.
United’s winning goal came in the 58th minute with a header from Fridrina Rolfe.
Juventus defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1 and moved up to seventh place, ahead of Bayern. Benfica and Twente drew 1-1 in Lisbon, leaving them both in the bottom six of the elimination table.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
