Bayern Munich overcame two equalizers to secure a 3-2 advantage from the first leg of its UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals bout with Manchester United.
The presumptive German champions were unfazed by going on the road to Old Trafford and stunned the hosts with a goal after just about 90 seconds courtesy of Pernille Harder, via an excellent long-range pass from Arianna Caruso. The ball looped over the shoulder of United captain Maya Le Tissier and Harder ran onto it, nutmegging the United center-back and flummoxing keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce with her clever shot.
That would be Bayern’s only real chance of the first half, however, and United managed to strike back. Hinata Miyazawa threaded in Lea Schüller, whose smart inside run took out four Bayern players dragged out wide as she barreled into the box. The ex-Bayern striker took on the shot at a tight angle, but the block — from Bayern defender Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir — was a handball. Le Tissier promptly stepped up and converted from the spot.
For a while the match then settled into a stalemate, both sides squandering what opportunities came their way, and the scoreline stood at 1-1 heading into the break.
Enter Momoko Tanikawa. Like her Japanese international teammate Miyazawa on the other side of the pitch, Tanikawa is freshly returned from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, where Japan lifted the trophy after triumphing over Australia in the Final. Tanikawa was introduced at the hour mark, and wasted little time taking over the game.
In the 72nd minute, Tanikawa found Harder with a perfect slicing pass through the lines to send the Dane on her way to a brace. After United equalized just five minutes later, it was up to Tanikawa again to find another moment of magic for her side…and find it she did, first setting up Franziska Kett with another excellent long-range pass and then arriving just outside the box to collect the return, set her feet, and laser it into the back of the net.
It was a moment of stupendous quality, set up by Tanikawa’s first touch, which teed up the shot more perfectly and faster than anyone on United was ready for. Teammate Vanessa Gilles knew what was coming, too, raising her arms in celebration before the shot had even come off.
This was a blow that United could not come back from in time for the full-time whistle, but the scoreline remains tight at 3-2. Bayern will take the result but know that the gap could have been wider, and that hard work remains to be done next week in Munich. Yet it was the Bavarians that delivered the more composed, more complete, and more mature performance today on the road — and they will undoubtedly be the favorites to advance to the semis.
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