UEFA Women’s Champions League Preview: Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich | OneFootball

Manchester United and Bayern Munich will lock horns for the first time in women’s football on Wednesday. The two teams have a rich history in the men’s Champions League, but the English club has never been in the women’s edition prior to this season.

Bayern Munich finished the league phase in fourth place, which was just about enough to see them automatically through to the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Manchester United beat Atlético Madrid 5-0 on aggregate to join the top eight in their maiden campaign.

José Barcala’s side came from behind to beat Champions League holders and fellow WSL side Arsenal 3-2 in the league phase. On the other hand, Manchester United’s first Champions League setback came away at Wolfsburg in a 5-2 defeat for Marc Skinner’s side.

Manchester United recently lost the League Cup final to Chelsea, but they pipped the champions to climb to second place in the WSL standings with a late win against Everton on Saturday.

Since joining the club from Bayern Munich in January, the rather prolific striker Lea Schuller has only managed to score in the 5-0 FA Cup win over National League side Burnley.

Bayern Munich have only dropped two points after 20 matches in the Frauen-Bundesliga. Ironically, the only game they failed to win was at home against cellar-dwellers Carl Zeiss Jena on the opening day of the 2025 Oktoberfest.

Danish international Pernille Harder is now the top-scorer in the league after grabbing braces in back-to-back games away at Köln and SGS Essen. Edna Imade has also added firing power off the bench following her return from a successful loan spell at Real Sociedad.

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However, Bayern will continue to miss their player of the season, Klara Bühl, due to a calf injury. Momoko Tanikawa and Jovana Damnjanovic are also major doubts as they haven’t played for Bayern since last month’s crucial win over Wolfsburg. The former has just returned to her club after winning the AFC Women's Asian Cup with Japan.

Predicted Lineups

Man Utd: Tullis-Joyce; Awujo, Le Tissier ©, Turner, Lundkvist; Naalsund, Zigiotti Olme; Park, Terland, Rolfö; Schüller

Bayern: Mahmutovic; Gwinn, Viggósdóttir ©, Gilles, Simon; Caruso, Stanway; Dallmann, Imade, Kett; Harder