Arsenal wanted a efficiency and a consequence in opposition to a European powerhouse, their kind within the Girls's Tremendous League letting them down, however Renée Slegers's aspect collapsed, relinquishing a 2-0 benefit and all three factors to Bayern Munich far too simply to plunge their Champions League defence into difficult waters.
Slegers referred to as the defeat a “large hit”. The top coach mentioned: “We're not glad, it's not ok, we will't concede three objectives so late in a recreation in opposition to Bayern when we've a 2-0 lead.”
Final season, a battling comeback from 2-1 right down to a 3-2 victory in opposition to Bayern of their ultimate group recreation avenged their opening 5-2 defeat by the Bavarian aspect and kickstarted an outstanding run to the ultimate. It marked a turning level of their season, demonstrating a psychological toughness that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their meltdown right here confirmed they're but to recapture the spirit that ensured success in Might.
Greater than 400 Arsenal followers had made the journey to Munich, many submitting into Hofbräuhaus, town's well-known beer corridor, earlier than the sport for his or her pre-match meet-up, able to attempt to outdo the 15,000-strong house crowd.
Daphne van Domselaar, the Arsenal goalkeeper, had mentioned her workforce had “confirmed every little thing we had” of their irritating 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday.
The goal, although, was to take the vitality of that spectacular second-half show to Germany with them. In Munich they caught to the plan and there was no repeat of that sluggish starting.
They opened on the entrance foot. Beth Mead was notably energetic and induced the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa issues on the appropriate as Arsenal's excessive and aggressive urgent reaped its rewards.
It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead within the fifth minute, the England ahead's shot surprisingly pushed away, slightly than held, by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Emily Fox was there to nod the ball again over the keeper and in.
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Arsenal's second aim arrived halfway by the half. Bayern's dedication to play out from the again had been dangerous and was exploited. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray go and laid off the ball to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it in direction of Mariona Caldentey on the sting of the field. The mercurial midfielder took a contact to alleviate stress from Tanikawa and lashed previous Grohs.
The vitality inexplicably lessened within the second half. Arsenal took their foot off the gasoline, their first-half domination lulling them right into a state of complacency.
José Barcala turned to his bench to attempt to get his workforce again into the sport: the previous Chelsea ahead Pernille More durable, whose hat‑trick in October 2024 took the sport from 2-2 to 5-2, got here on and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler arrived quickly after. The latter made Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and amassing from Klara Bühl earlier than guiding the ball previous Van Domselaar.
It was Bayern within the ascendancy and after the deficit was lowered they turned up the stress on the guests, sensing they might take one thing from the sport. Predictably, More durable delivered, clipping a looping ball in from the sting of the world to stage.
They didn't simply wish to take one thing, although: they needed all of it, and 6 minutes later that they had the lead, Glódis Viggósdóttir handing over on the close to publish from Bühl's cross.
“We dominated the primary half, the second half was Bayern's,” Slegers mentioned. “What they begin to do, particularly after their first aim, they begin to play in behind and so they begin to play a long-ball, second-ball recreation and so they stack numbers excessive, and we don't cope with it nicely sufficient.”
One win from three Champions League video games means Arsenal's probabilities of making the highest 4 and incomes a quarter-final place routinely are slim and a spot within the February playoffs may also be in danger.
“We have to use these video games as gasoline,” Slegers mentioned. “We all know we'd like factors within the Champions League, so this was a giant hit. We've got to get again, we are going to get again.”
