Women’s Champions League Preview: Bayern Munich Women Fully Rested, Arsenal Women Struggling in Germany

At 00:45 on October 10, the first round of Group C in the 2024-25 Women’s Champions League will see Bayern Munich Women hosting Arsenal Women at their home ground.

According to the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) ranking, Bayern Munich Women rank 6th among women’s football clubs worldwide, while Arsenal are 9th. Both teams are among the best in women’s football today. This match is a revenge game for Bayern Munich Women, as they were eliminated by Arsenal in the 2022-23 Women’s Champions League quarter-finals, losing 0-1 away and winning 2-0 at home. The German team has not forgotten this, and at the pre-match press conference, the Bayern Munich Women’s coaching staff explicitly stated that they “will give a response.”

Since the start of the season, Bayern Munich Women have been in excellent form, winning all six matches in the German Women’s Bundesliga and the German Women’s Cup, scoring 24 goals and conceding only 3. In the league match last weekend, Bayern Munich Women won 1-0 against Cologne Women, primarily due to significant rotation, with the aim of performing well in this Champions League match.

Arsenal Women, on the other hand, have shown some inconsistency. So far this season, they have played 7 matches (3 league games, 4 Women’s Champions League qualifiers), recording 4 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss. In particular, in their last 6 matches, they have scored only 8 goals, indicating a decline in their attacking performance.

In terms of head-to-head records, including the knockout stage of the 2022-23 season, the two teams have met 6 times in European competition, with Bayern Munich winning 3 at home and losing 3 away. According to UEFA statistics, Arsenal Women have faced German teams 18 times in European competition, with a record of 4 wins, 3 draws, and 11 losses. In away matches, they have visited Germany 9 times, with a record of 1 win, 1 draw, and 7 losses.

Key players to watch include Bayern Munich Women’s attacking midfielders, Danish star Pernille Harder (No. 21, 4 goals) and English star Lauren Hemp (No. 31, 3 goals), who are the team’s top two scorers and are in good form. For Arsenal Women, Norwegian winger Frida Maanum (No. 12) has scored 4 goals in her last 6 matches and is a key figure for the team.

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