Women's Champions League: Bayern München vs Arsenal facts

Former winners Arsenal open their 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League group stage campaign against Bayern in Munich.

Group C also features Juventus and Vålerenga.

Previous meetings

2022/23 Women's Champions League quarter-finals
Bayern 1-0 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Bayern
A 39th-minute Lea Schüller header was enough for a 1-0 home victory on 21 March 2023 in the quarter-final first leg in Munich.

However, that set the stage for an Arsenal comeback eight days later. First-half goals from Frida Maanum and Stina Blackstenius overturned the deficit in London and sent Jonas Eidevall's side into the semi-finals.

Form guide

Bayern

Record vs English clubs W3 D0 L3 F6 A9
Home record vs English clubs W3 D0 L0

Aside from that 2023 tie against Arsenal, Bayern have faced Chelsea four times in the Women's Champions League, winning the two home games 2-1 in the 2017/18 round of 32 second leg and the 2020/21 semi-final first leg. They lost the two away legs, however, 0-1 in 2017/18 and 1-4 on 2020/21, and were eliminated on both occasions.

Bayern have therefore won all three of their home games against English opponents, scoring five goals and conceding two.

This is Bayern's fourth successive group stage appearance. They progressed to the quarter-finals as section runners-up in both 2021/22 and 2022/23, but did not make it out of Group C last year as they finished third behind Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax.

The German club have reached the semi-finals twice – the defeat by Chelsea in 2021 and also in 2018/19, when they were knocked out by eventual runners-up Barcelona having lost 0-1 both home and away.

This is Bayern's 11th Women's Champions League appearance, their first coming in 2009/10. This is the tenth season in a row in which they have taken part.

Bayern won their sixth Frauen-Bundesliga title last term, and second in a row, finishing seven points clear of Wolfsburg. The Munich club were unbeaten in their 22 games (W19 D3), scoring 60 goals and conceding just eight.

Their last defeat at home in any competition was against Wolfsburg in the DFB-Pokal Frauen on 15 April 2023. The last time they lost at home to a team other than Wolfsburg was on 22 March 2022 against Paris Saint-Germain in the Women's Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Arsenal

Record vs German clubs W4 D3 L11 F23 A33
Away record vs German clubs W1 D1 L7

Arsenal have won just four of their 18 contests against teams from Germany, most recently that victory against Bayern in 2023. They recorded a pair of victories against Turbine Potsdam in the 2012/12 quarter-finals (2-1 h, 4-3 a) and a 4-0 win against Hoffenheim at Meadow Park on Matchday 2 in 2021/22.

The Gunners lost five of their first six games against German opposition (D1).

Away from home, they have lost seven of their nine contests against German teams, their one draw coming in their most recent encounter, 2-2 against Wolfsburg in the first leg of their 2022/23 semi-final.

Arsenal were crowned champions of Europe in 2006/07 when they defeated Umeå in a two-legged final. Alex Scott's swerving effort from distance in the final moments of the first leg in Sweden was the only goal across both games.

The Gunners remain the only English club to win the competition. In addition to their 2007 triumph, they have reached the semi-finals on a further six occasions.

This is Arsenal's 17th participation in the Women's Champions League; they return to the group stage for a third time having missed out last season.

Their 2024/25 Women's Champions League journey began with a 6-0 win over Rangers on 4 September at Meadow Park, Caitlin Foord scoring four, before they beat Rosenborg 1-0 in the round 1 final at the same venue three days later. In round 2, the Gunners lost 0-1 in the first leg away to Swedish side BK Häcken, but a 4-0 home victory in the second leg sent them into the group stage.

Arsenal finished third in the Women's Super League last season, five points behind both Manchester City and champions Chelsea, but Eidevall did lead them to a second consecutive FA Women's League Cup title.

Key facts

Bayern have lost only one of their last 17 home Women's Champions League matches (W13 D3).

They are also unbeaten in their previous nine home group games (W6 D3), and have lost only two of their last 15 group matches overall (W9 D4).

The German side have scored in 15 of their last 17 group fixtures.

Arsenal have won only two of their last ten matches against German teams (D2 L6).

The Gunners have lost just one of their last five away group games (W3 D1).

The Super League outfit have kept three clean sheets in their four Women's Champions League matches this season.