Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal: Lea Schuller provides only goal of the game
Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal: Lea Schuller provides the only goal of the game to see the German giants emerge victorious from the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final
Arsenal received a lesson in German efficiency when they fell 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
It was Arsenal who had the most chances, it was Arsenal who had the most shots on goal but it was Bayern who prevailed. The Germans scored one of their three shots on goal. Arsenal did not score any of their six.
The Gunners hit the post and had two clear shots from the line while Bayern keeper Maria-Luisia Grohs made some vital saves. Leah Schuller, Bayern’s prolific number 9, scored the only goal of the match to put her team in the driver’s seat in this European tie.
Arsenal are far from out of the game yet and they will feel they showed enough at the Allianz Arena to return to the Emirates next week.
This was never going to be easy for Arsenal. Bayern are two points off the top of the Frauen Bundesliga and are a team in top form. They have not lost a home game since April 2022, are unbeaten in all competitions since October and have reached the quarter-finals of this competition in six of the last seven years.
Lea Schuller contributed the only goal of the match as Bayern Munich beat Arsenal 1-0
Arsenal received a lesson in German efficiency when they were beaten by the German team.
It was Arsenal who had the most chances, it was Arsenal who had the most shots on goal, but it was Bayern who prevailed on Tuesday night.
They also have a fit and clinical forward in Schuller. The German has nine league goals and now has four in this competition. She made the difference here, but she was forced to withdraw with injury in the 80th minute.
His availability for the second leg could be crucial. Arsenal may feel bad that they had the better chances and could have been awarded a penalty early in the first half when Caitlin Foord’s shot was blocked by Glodis Viggosdottir. His arm was not in an unnatural position, but it stopped the direction of Foord’s shot. The referee Ivana Projkovska decided not to signal the point and the VAR did not intervene.
The Gunners then saw a glorious opportunity when the unmarked Stina Blackstenius headed over Foord’s cross from close range.
After Bayern had dominated the early stages, Arsenal continued to grow in the game and had another great opportunity to open the scoring when Blackstenius’s cross ended at the feet of Frida Maanum, but the midfielder was unable to lift the ball over the top. de Grohs in Bayern’s Goal.
Lea Schuller and Georgia Stanway then saw the efforts fly just outside the far post at the other end.
They were the hosts who finished the half stronger and the breakthrough came just before half time. Maximiliane Rall sent a taunting cross to the far post and Schuller beat Laura Wienroither to head into the top left corner.
Arsenal should have leveled in the second, but saw opportunity after opportunity go begging. They were inches from equalizer just after half-time when Foord’s effort hit the outside of the post.
The Australian then had another effort saved by Grohs at the hour mark. Then came the moment when the visitors thought they had leveled off. Bayern were unable to clear an Arsenal free kick and Blackstenius sent a header to the far post. The ball appeared to be on the line as Arsenal celebrated, but Saki Kumagai had done just enough to pull off a brilliant last-minute clearance.
Arsenal’s fortunes did not improve as the defender saw another shot clear off the line moments later, this time from goalscoring Schuller.
Rall should have made Arsenal pay for their missed chances when she ran on goal on 86 minutes, but the full-back could only send her effort straight to Manuela Zinsberger, who made a quick and important reaction to keep the tie. the balance.
More to follow…
