The Women’s Champions League continues on Wednesday night with more top European sides in action.
Here’s what happened.
Harder nets 15-minute hat-trick to embarrass Arsenal
Scorers: Caldentey 30′ Codina 65′; Viggósdóttir 43′, Lohmann 55′, Harder 73′ 79′ 86′
Pernille Harder was the star for Bayern as they defeated Arsenal by a 5-2 scoreline.
Arsenal started brightly and grabbed a deserved lead when Katie McCabe chipped a ball into the box for Mariona Caldentey to deliver a first-time finish that hit the back of the net before the Bayern defence had chance to blink.
Yet Bayern grew into the game, and as half-time was approaching got their equaliser. Georgia Stanway had already threatened with a trademark shot on goal from distance, but this time she launched a dangerous long ball into the box for Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir to get on the end of with a looping header.
The Bundesliga side came out of the dressing room with the same energy and immediately tested Manuela Zinsberger, before a smart counter-attack from Klara Bühl set up Sydney Lohmann, who slotted home a smart finish at the near post.
Just as it seemed Bayern were in firm control, McCabe swung in a corner that was nodded in by Spanish defender Laia Codina to even up the scores.
Then the match took another swing, as another header from a corner – this time from Pernille Harder – put the home side back on top.
Five minutes later and Harder had a brace, from a similar scenario to her first when a cross came over and she was able to beat the Arsenal defence to score with her head from a central position.
Bayern were now ripping through the Arsenal backline, and when a neat cross from Giulia Gwinn came into the box from the right-hand side, Harder was there to bundle it home.
Still to come…
Manchester City v Barcelona
Vålerenga v Juventus
Also in action…
Matchday Two of the Women’s Champions League group stage takes place on Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th October.