Manchester United have it all to do in Germany next week after succumbing to a 3-2 first leg loss to a Bayern Munich team inspired by Pernille Harder, who scored twice.
The away supporters were singing ‘football’s coming home’ by the end, with their team now strong favourites for a semi-final spot after a night when the home side never quite showed their full potential.
Playing in the quarter-finals for the first time, this tie was the biggest United women’s team have experienced since reforming in 2018. Given the magnitude of the occasion the size of the crowd was somewhat underwhelming, most likely as a result of this being the first of two fixtures for United’s women at Old Trafford in four days. Saturday’s Manchester derby is understood to have attracted far stronger ticket sales. Those who did turn up where shocked though inside two minutes.
Bayern could scarcely of dreamt of a better start as they opened the scoring after 98 seconds with as simple a goal you could wish to score in a European knockout game. It took just one well-placed but routine ball over the top from Arianna Caruso to beat the United defence. Harder had the pace, deft touch and composure to hold off Maya Le Tissier and roll the ball into the bottom corner in front of an empty Stretford End.
