Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal: Lea Schuller puts Germans in driving seat in Women’s Champions League quarter-final

A tremendous header from Lea Schuller was enough to give Bayern Munich a 1-0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final.

Bayern started the stronger but Arsenal gradually eased themselves into the game. They did, though, struggle to create, and eventually the home side took control of the match, dominating the end of the first half and taking the lead on 39 minutes when Schuller leapt over Laura Wienroither to head emphatically home.

After the break Arsenal were much the better side and almost equalised when Caitlin Foord’s curler his the post, while Stina Blackstenius and Leah Williamson were denied by last-ditch clearances. But Bayern, who were dangerous on the counter, held out reasonably well as Arsenal badly missed the injured Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead.

Though Bayern lost Schuller to injury, they will be confident of completing the job in London next week.

TALKING POINT – Arsenal missing Mead and Miedema

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Lea Schuller (Bayern)

Scored a brilliant header, cleared an Arsenal chance off the line, and was the best player on the pitch. Bayern will hope whatever knock she took wasn’t a serious one.

PLAYER RATINGS

Bayern: Grohs 5, Rall 7, Kumagal 7, Viggosdottir, Hansen 6, Stanway 7, Zadrazil 7, Magull 7, Buhl 6, Schuller 8, Lohman 6. Subs: Damnjanovic 6, Bragstad 6, Kett 6.

Arsenal: Zinsberger 6, Wienroither 5, Williamson 5, Rafaelle 5, Maritz 6, Little 5, Maanum 5, Walti 4, McCabe 5, Blackstenius 5, Foord 7. Subs: Pelova 6, Kuhl 6.

KEY MOMENTS

10’ – LITTLE DRILLS A TERRIFIC SWITCH OUT TO FOORD… Who teases Rall, nips inside to pinch a yard, and curls a decent cross at Blackstenius, who arches her back to try and get behind it but in the even it’s just a little to hard and high, so her header flashes over the bar.

39’ – GOAL! Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal (Schuller): This is a tremendous header! Rall crosses from the right and Schuller is up early and high, Wienroither far too late to challenge – though had she been on time, I doubt she’s had have affected much – and the resultant header flies inside the far post, two-thirds of the way up, as Zinsberger chases futilely into the side-netting.

44’ – BAYERN SWEEP FORWARD AGAIN! Looking for a second before Arsenal reorganise, and a Stanway challenge sends Schuller skating through between Williamson and Rafaelle! Yet again, she takes her shot early – I don’t think she trusts her pace – a kind of futsal, Original Ronaldo-poke … and the ball flies inches past the post with Zinsberger stranded! That was a great effort, and Arsenal badly need the whistle.

52’ – FOORD HITS THE POST! She’s been Arsenal’s most dangerous attacker, and offered a little bit of space, she steals a yard nipping inside, and curls a careful, clever effort around Grohs dive that bounces then kisses the far post before bouncing away!

62’ – ARSENAL ALMOST SCORE! TWICE! The ball in meets Rafaelle, whose header is cleared from under the bar by Schuller – what a game she’s having – then Blackstenius heads goalwards … and Kumagal, hurling a leg towards her own goal, to clear from under the bar! That was so close to being over the line; that was sensational defending by both Bayern players. Arsenal, meanwhile, want a penalty for a tug on Rafaelle – it happened, but it was minor – and a free-kick for a backpass – I don’t think it was deliberate – and Eidevall is fuming.

70’ – THE CORNER IS A GOOD’UN TOO! At the far post, Foord might go for goal, but instead she nods back across to Williamson, who must score … but she can’t impart requisite power, and Schuller saves on the line! What a game she’s having! If we’re being generous, the height of the ball made it hard for the Arsenal skipper to impart sufficient power, but she should’ve found a way, and in the event, another desperate lunge from Kumagal is enough to see the attack away.