Georgia Stanway attributed Bayern Munich’s slow start against Arsenal to nerves playing at the Allianz Arena, explaining the German champions got “overexcited” before orchestrating their dramatic 3-2 comeback from two goals down.
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Allianz Arena Pressure Creates First-Half Problems
Bayern trailed 2-0 at halftime after Emily Fox and Mariona Caldentey goals put Arsenal in control. Stanway admitted the 75,000-capacity stadium creates unusual pressure for a team accustomed to playing at the FC Bayern complex, which holds just 2,500 spectators.
*“It always happens to us first half when we play here,*” Stanway told Disney+ after the match. “The more that we play here, the more that we’ll get comfortable being in this environment. It’s a little bit abnormal, and sometimes we get a little bit overexcited, feeling the emotions a little bit.”
The England international explained Bayern’s desire to entertain fans creates additional nerves. “The reality is we want people to come back. The nerves are on in order to create a good environment, a good game, to keep fans here and provide this stadium for us as much as possible.”
Halftime Adjustments Sparked Transformation
Bayern’s coaching staff addressed tactical deficiencies during the break, analyzing pictures and identifying solutions that transformed the second half completely. Stanway acknowledged the team’s relief after recovering from their disappointing opening 45 minutes.
“It feels good but it’s also a bit of a relief. We were very unsatisfied with the first half, and I think second half was just a completely different game and a massive show of character.”
Pernille Harder’s introduction proved pivotal, with the substitute scoring Bayern’s equalizer before Glodis Viggosdottir completed the turnaround. The crowd’s energy grew with each goal, creating momentum Arsenal couldn’t resist.
“It’s special and I think the second half when we got the goal, we hear the crowd, we get it again, we hear the crowd, every single defensive action we heard the crowd again,” Stanway reflected.
Bayern face Paris Saint-Germain next in Champions League action.
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