Bayern Munich 5-2 Arsenal – Pernille Harder scores hat-trick as Bayern heap more pressure on Jonas Eidevall and Arsenal – Eurosport

Pernille Harder scored a hat-trick within 13 minutes to secure victory as Bayern Munich came from 1-0 down to sink Arsenal 5-2 in their opening match of the 2024-25 Women’s Champions League Group Stage. .

Mariona Caldentey opened the scoring inside 30 minutes when Katie McCabe’s cross found the Spanish midfielder in the box, who was able to hook her foot around the ball and find the bottom corner.

But the equaliser would come shortly before half-time, when Bayern Munich’s captain Glodis Perla Viggosdottir headed home a brilliant cross from Georgia Stanway.

Sydney Lohmann completed the comeback for Bayern just after the break when a counter-attack took Arsenal off-guard and the German forward slotted home her second goal of the season.

Bayern’s lead didn’t last long as Arsenal’s Laia Cordina nodded in a corner from close range to find the equaliser.

However, Pernille Harder put Bayern back ahead eight minutes later when she headed the ball past Manuela Zinsberger, before adding Bayern’s fourth just five minutes later with another header.

Harder sealed her hat-trick and all three points in the 86th minute when she bundled home a cross that Zinsberger had initially kept out.

Arsenal face Chelsea in their next game in the WSL, before hosting Valerenga in their second game of the Champions League. Bayern face seven-time Freuden-Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg at the weekend before taking on Juventus in the Champions League.

The Arsenal boss made five changes for tonight’s fixture and must have thought he’d found a solution to their WSL misery when they dominated play and looked the likely team to score in the first half, being rewarded with a goal in the 30th minute. Bayern only truly took it up a gear as the game neared half-time and from there on, it was all the home side with the Gunners unable to settle.

They face Chelsea at the weekend and given the Blues’ 3-2 victory against Real Madrid and solid victories against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, they could be in danger and Jonas Eidevall could be on his way out.

Before she netted her hat-trick, Penille Harder was a part of everything Bayern were creating and had already several chances to find the back of the net so when she finally netted her UWCL goal during her 50th appearance, it was well deserved.

And when she’d broken her goal draught on the international stage, there was nothing to stop her making it a hat-trick.

Arsenal: Zinsberger 7, McCabe 7, Codina 7, Williamson 6, Fox 6, Little 6, Walti 6, Caldentey 7, Maanum 6, Foord 6, Blackstenius 6. Subs: Mead 5, Russo 5, Catley 5, Cooney-Cross 5, Kafaji 5

Bayern Munich: Grohs 7, Gwinn 7, Viggosdottir 7, Hansen 7, Simon 8, Harder 9, Stanway 7, Zadrazil 7, Lohmann 7, Damnjanovic 7 Buhl 8Subs: Kerr 6, Dallman 6, Schuller 6, Sembrant 6, Zigiotti Olme 6

GOAL! BAYERN MUNICH 0 – 1 ARSENAL (CALDENTEY 31′) It’s McCabe again, who delivers a great cross into the box from the left and Mariona Caldentey is able to hook her foot around it and find the bottom corner.

GOAL! BAYERN MUNICH 1 – 1 ARSENAL (VIGGOSDOTTIR 43′) It’s the captain to the rescue for Bayern and they were pressing for that equaliser. The Icelandic defender was still up following a corner and it’s a brilliant cross from Georgia Stanway, which finds Glodis Perla Viggosdottir, who heads home.

GOAL! BAYERN MUNICH 2 – 1 ARSENAL (LOHMANN 56′) And they’ve taken the lead. It was a brilliant counter-attack by the home side and Sydney Lohmann gets her second goal of the season.

GOAL! BAYERN MUNICH 2 – 2 ARSENAL (CORDINA 65′) They needed that. Bayern have dominated a lot of the play in this second half but it’s Laia Cordina who nods home a corner from close range to find the equaliser.

GOAL! BAYERN MUNICH 3 – 2 ARSENAL (HARDER 73′) They weren’t level for long and Pernille Harder finally has her goal. It comes from a corner and the Bayern player is able to get ahead of Kim Little and heads the ball into the net past Zinberger.

GOAL! BAYERN MUNICH 4 – 2 ARSENAL (HARDER 78′) She has her second and surely she’s secured the victory for Bayern now. It’s a header again from the Dane as she meets Buhl’s cross and it leaves Zinsberger no chance to keep it out.

GOAL! BAYERN MUNICH 5 – 2 ARSENAL (HARDER 86′) She has her hat-trick and it’s fully deserved. She was hunting for a goal throughout and she’s had three within 13 minutes. Zinsberger is able to keep it out initially but Harder bundles it home to all but seal the victory.