Manchester United Women’s UEFA Champions League run is over at the quarterfinal stage after a 2-1 defeat in Munich on Wednesday, a 5-3 aggregate defeat, which ends the team’s hopes of achieving silverware in the 2025/26 campaign.
Melvine Malard scored the opening goal of the night and nearly converted on another good opportunity in a dominant first-half showing, but the Reds reverted back to conservative tactics in the second half in a bid to hold on and hit on the break or force extra time. They
could do neither as Glodis Viggosdottir and Linda Dallmann struck twice in the final 10 minutes of play to flip the game in favor of Bayern.
The work rate had understandably dropped off a bit, given the congested schedule and injury problems, but fans also pointed to the decision to sub off Simi Awujo for Lisa Naalsund in the 63rd minute as a turning point. After conceding the first goal, Marc Skinner sent for Lea Schuller to try and add something to the attack, but the second goal came before the change could be made.
Bayern have never lost at home to English opposition, and United nearly ended that streak, but there wasn’t much left for them to give in the final minutes.
The loss marks the third straight defeat for United, and the fifth in the last seven games, which features just one win over Everton in Women’s Super League play. The bad run of form has seen United knocked out of the FA Cup, lose the League Cup Final, drop out of the Top 3 in the WSL and now crash out of Europe in heartbreaking fashion.
United are back on the road at Tottenham Hotspur in their next match on Easter Sunday at noon.
