Updated at\u00a017.04 EDT<\/p>\n
![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774472709_811_Tom_Garry.png\")
Tom Garry<\/p>\n
After their terrible start, United have settled pretty well and deserve credit for getting back into the game. It feels quite evenly poised at the moment but, if I was Marc Skinner, I\u2019d be alarmed at how many problems Bayern are causing from set-pieces. Don\u2019t forget United had the best defensive record in the competition during the league phase.<\/p>\n
Marc Skinner. A worried man? Photograph: James Gill\/Danehouse\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.02 EDT<\/p>\n Half-time: Manchester United Women 1-1 Bayern Munich<\/p>\n Honours even at the interval. Here\u2019s some half-time reading for your perusal:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min: Huge let-off for United! Gilles nods the ball back from the far post after the corner, and it falls to Kakounan, who blazes a first-time shot over the crossbar from close range.<\/p>\n Bernadette Kakounan goes close for Bayern. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt\/AMA\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.00 EDT<\/p>\n 43 min: Kakounan battles with Rolfo near a corner flag. She does well to keep the ball alive. Bayern eventually win a corner. Can they burst United\u2019s bubble again before half-time?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 41 min: Now Malard thumps a brilliant curling cross over from the left wing. Schuller heads it but can\u2019t keep the effort down, or on target.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.44 EDT<\/p>\n 40 min: Schuller gets a sight of goal and cracks a diagonal shot that never looks likely to trouble Mahmutovic. Schuller had options in the middle there and probably should have crossed it. Malard, one of those options, throws her hands up to protest.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.43 EDT<\/p>\n 39 min: There are two balls on the pitch. It turns out this is not a Uefa innovation. The referee, Olatz Rivera Olmedo, stops the game to allow the removal of one of them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.41 EDT<\/p>\n 38 min: Park makes another driving run on the United right. Kett executes a fine sliding challenge to dispossess her.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36 min: Harder tries to burst on to a cross from the right wing. Le Tissier defends it extremely well and clears for a corner. From the set-piece, clearly a training-ground move, Viggosdottir volleys over from the near post.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35 min: Kakounan threatens down the Bayern right. The Manchester United defence holds firm. Miyazawa of Manchester United and Japan, who trained yesterday after flying back from Australia and the Women\u2019s Asian Cup, is showing few ill effects of her recent full-on schedule but surely she won\u2019t play the full 90.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.37 EDT<\/p>\n 32 min: Malard hits a good low shot from 25 yards after a smart passing move by United. It\u2019s dealt with easily enough by Mahmutovic.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30 min: From their left wing, Simon floats a cross into the danger zone for Bayern. Rolfo heads clear. Stanway then shows her passing range in midfield for the visitors. At the moment, it\u2019s a close tactical battle in midfield and neither team are creating chances easily.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.34 EDT<\/p>\n 29 min: Harder and Stanway look to link up, bearing down on United\u2019s defence in a central area. Harder tries to slide a ball to her teammate but it\u2019s intercepted.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 28 min: Park is playing superbly. She embarks on a fine run down the United right and is hacked down by Simon. Simon goes in the book.<\/p>\n Jess Park is challenged by Franziska Kett. Photograph: Jan Kruger\/UEFA\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.44 EDT<\/p>\n 25 min: It was a horrid start for the hosts but they\u2019ve rallied impressively, getting a foothold in the game and deservedly levelling at 1-1. Now can they create an advantage to take to Munich next week?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It is a good attacking move down the right from United, started by Park. Le Tissier takes a few deep breaths and steps up to hammer a right-footed penalty past Mahmutovic. Her celebrations suggest she is doubly happy, having possibly been at fault for the early goal for Bayern.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.27 EDT<\/p>\n Goal! 23 min: Manchester United 1-1 Bayern Munich (Le Tissier)<\/p>\n All square!<\/p>\n Maya Le Tissier rifles home! Photograph: Jason Cairnduff\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.31 EDT<\/p>\n 21 min: United break down the left with Schuller. Viggosdottir is penalised for handball! Penalty!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 20 min: A useful set-piece for Bayern, a free-kick from their left wing just outside the area. Giulia Gwinn bends it in but it\u2019s overhit and goes out for a goal-kick, partly thanks to some defensive shepherding by Malard.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.23 EDT<\/p>\n 19 min: Millie Turner tries to pass back to Tullis-Joyce. It\u2019s wide of the keeper though and goes out for a Bayern corner. That was a nervy moment, both the errant back pass and the fact it might even have rolled in the net.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 17 min: Jess Park hits a powerful shot when the ball breaks to her from the corner. It\u2019s blocked, and another effort by Zigiotti Olme goes sailing over the crossbar.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.20 EDT<\/p>\n 16 min: Schuller makes a bright burst down the United left. She cuts a good-looking cross back for Malard, but it\u2019s cut out for a corner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.18 EDT<\/p>\n 15 min: \u201cWe need to offer structure, positioning and control,\u201d said the Bayern Munich manager, Barcala, before kick-off. And that\u2019s precisely what they are doing. Their defensive shape when out of possession is very impressive, the front six snap back into their positions seemingly automatically.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 11 min: It\u2019s all a bit scrappy \u2013 but United will probably take that if it means breaking up Bayern\u2019s fluent attacking and keeping the pressure off. The midfielder Zigiotti Olme coughs up a free-kick near halfway.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.14 EDT<\/p>\n 8 min: Bayern threaten again. Harder gets a ball to feet in the area and then tees up a chance for Kett. Gwinn gets a chance too, the ball bobbling around near the hosts\u2019 goal, but United finally manage to clear. Marc Skinner\u2019s team are wobbling badly.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.13 EDT<\/p>\n There are around 100 Bayern fans to my right currently going wild in the away section. What a start for them. And from a defensive point of view for Manchester United, what an easy goal to concede.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Harder, the former Chelsea forward, chases a long ball from the right-back position in behind. Maya Le Tisser is in attendance but cannot deal with it. Harder gets the ball under control and slots a fine finish in the corner, no chance for Phallon Tullis-Joyce in goal. A horrible start for the hosts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.09 EDT<\/p>\n Goal! 2 min: Manchester United 0-1 Bayern Munich (Harder)<\/p>\n Wow! The worst possible start for Manchester United Women<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pernille Harder scores! Photograph: Carl Recine\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.10 EDT<\/p>\n First-half kick-off!<\/p>\n Here we go.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.08 EDT<\/p>\n Lea Schuller, in case you didn\u2019t know, joined United from Bayern in January. Inside knowledge.<\/p>\n Marc Skinner, in his pre-match chat, said Schuller\u2019s knowledge of Bayern\u2019s game could be an advantage.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.04 EDT<\/p>\n This is Bayern Munich\u2019s eighth quarter-final in the competition. But they\u2019ve never made it past the semi-finals, mind you.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here we are then. The teams are lined up in the tunnel and it\u2019s nearly go-time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Three sides of this stadium are empty, while one is jam-packed and bustling. Unfortunately, the television cameras are pointing towards the three empty stands. It\u2019s a disappointing turnout, that\u2019s for sure. But higher ticket sales are expected for Saturday\u2019s WSL Manchester derby, back here on the same ground in just a few days\u2019 time, so perhaps that\u2019s the game the home fans have prioritised.<\/p>\n Safia Middleton-Patel of Manchester United warms up. Photograph: Poppy Townson\/MUFC\/Manchester United\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n And now Jos\u00e9 Barcala, the Bayern Munich head coach, speaks:<\/p>\n \u201cPernille Harder is really important. A playmaker. For us it\u2019s so important to have good positional play. She understands positioning better than anyone else and she is so clinical.<\/p>\n \u201cManchester United has the quality, the individual quality to punish you in transitions. They need a team that is disorganised and they can punish you when are not in the right position. We need to offer structure, positioning and control. Then probably, we have probabilities to get the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.02 EDT<\/p>\n Marc Skinner has a chat with Disney+:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really excited. We\u2019re at a fantastic arena. We\u2019ve created history, I want to see us express ourselves, just express who we are, and it\u2019ll be an exciting game I\u2019m sure.<\/p>\n \u201cLea Schuller will be important and hopefully knowing how they play with be an advantage \u2026 we have to be at our best. We are looking forward to the challenge.<\/p>\n \u201c[It will be about] Riding the moments, momentum. They will create, we will create. I think it\u2019s respecting, but not being in fear or in awe of them. We\u2019re not here by luck. We are here by hard work, graft and commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.53 EDT<\/p>\n Some of us are old enough to remember Manchester United men beating Bayern Munich in 1999:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full-time: Real Madrid Women 2-6 Barcelona Women<\/p>\n Les jeux sont faits. A thumping win for Bar\u00e7a against their traditional\/perennial\/bitter (delete as applicable) rivals.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.39 EDT<\/p>\n Sonia Bompastor, the Chelsea head coach, said the women\u2019s game needs to be shown \u201cmore respect\u201d after the decision to rule out Veerle Buurman\u2019s goal in the first half of the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final was not overturned by the video assistant referee.<\/p>\n Buurman leapt and nodded in and looked to have halved the hosts\u2019 lead, but the referee, Alina Pesu, \u00adimmediately ruled out the effort for a \u00adperceived foul on Laia Codina and the VAR did not deem it a clear and obvious error.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget you can email me<\/a> with your thoughts.<\/p>\n Preferably on tonight\u2019s match.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.35 EDT<\/p>\n Now a penalty for Bar\u00e7a with the clock on 88min \u2026<\/p>\n And that\u2019s 6-2. Alexia Putellas with a Diego Maradona-style penalty, waiting for the keeper to move, and dispatching the ball safely into the opposite corner.<\/p>\n Goal! Photograph: Javier Soriano\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.36 EDT<\/p>\n For Manchester United there are two changes: Lea Schuller comes in for Elisabeth Terland while Hinata Miyazawa, having just returned from playing in Japan\u2019s Women\u2019s Asian Cup final win<\/a> against Australia on Saturday, replaces Simi Awujo.<\/p>\n Bayern Munich Women are unchanged from the 5-0 win against Essen on Saturday with Georgia Stanway, formerly of Manchester City, lining up as one of two defensive midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.29 EDT<\/p>\n It\u2019s raining goals in Spain. It\u2019s Real Madrid 2-5 Barcelona<\/a> now.<\/p>\n Linda Caicedo just scored her second of the night for Madrid, and it was a belter, arrowed into the top corner from the edge of the box after a driving run at a backpedalling Barcelona defence.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.16 EDT<\/p>\n The local weather has provided a proper \u2018welcome to Manchester\u2019 for the Bayern Munich players today, with not only a chilling, blustery wind and frequent heavy showers but even a sudden burst of hail, which pounded on to the top of my car like pebbles a couple of hours ago as I was driving along the M56 towards the stadium. There is a freezing-cold feel in the air and rumours of an overnight frost on the way. So it will feel like this game is being played in January rather than late March, and you wonder whether that can benefit the hosts. Everyone in the stands has their hat, their scarves and their gloves back on again.<\/p>\n The scene outside a wintry Old Trafford. Photograph: Carl Recine\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.46 EDT<\/p>\n I\u2019ll expand on those teams shortly, but now, an update from our intrepid reporter at Old Trafford \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Teams<\/p>\n Manchester United Women (4-3-3): Tullis-Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Turner, Rolfo; Zigiotti Olme, Miyazawa, Naalsund; Park, Schuller, Malard. Substitutes: Rendell, Middleton-Patel, George, Terland, Awujo, Riviere, Anderson.<\/p>\n Bayern Munich Women (4-2-3-1): Mahmutovic; Gwinn, Viggosdottir, Gilles, Simon; Stanway, Kakounan; Dallmann, Caruso, Kett; Harder. Substitutes: Grohs, Ballisager, Eriksson, Tanikawa, Bidas, Dunst, Imade, Zahringer, Kreuzpaintner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.22 EDT<\/p>\n Real Madrid 1-4 Barcelona<\/a> is a latest score in tonight\u2019s earlier kick-off.<\/p>\n That\u2019s ONE-FOUR to Bar\u00e7a. Remarkable.<\/p>\n Ewa Pajor (two), Esmee Brugts and Irene Paredes have scored the goals for Barcelona. One or two more and they\u2019ve put the tie to bed before the second leg.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.03 EDT<\/p>\n It is no exaggeration to describe the next seven days as the most significant week of fixtures in the history of the Manchester United women\u2019s team, as they contest their first European quarter-final with a crucial derby in between.<\/p>\n Debutants in the Champions League main draw, Marc Skinner\u2019s side now have three box-office matches in huge arenas, starting with the first leg of their quarter\u2011final against Bayern Munich on Wednesday at Old Trafford, as the runaway Frauen\u2011Bundesliga leaders arrive in England hoping to illustrate their own European title credentials. The stage is set for a thriller.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\nTom Garry<\/p>\nTom Garry<\/p>\nTom Garry<\/p>\nTom Garry<\/p>\n