Women's Champions League round-up: Manchester City beat Barcelona, Harder inspires Bayern
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
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Manchester City beat Barcelona 2-0 while a 14-minute Pernille Harder hat-trick ensured Bayern started with a 5-2 defeat of Arsenal.
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Manchester City's long-awaited UEFA Women's Champions League group-stage debut could hardly have gone better as they defeated holders Barcelona 2-0, while a Pernille Harder hat-trick helped Bayern München beat Arsenal 5-2 and there were also opening wins for Juventus and newcomers Hammarby.
UEFA.com rounds up all the action.
Click on any scoreline to look back at all the action as it happened and watch highlights from midnight CET.
Group C
On the night she made her 50th European appearance, Pernille Harder’s 14-minute hat-trick – her first competition goals for nearly two years – decided a thrilling opener in Munich.
Arsenal had gone in front through Mariona Caldentey’s side-footed opener, but Glódís Viggósdóttir’s header and Sydney Lohmann’s low drive turned the game on its head. Laia Codina briefly restored parity for the Gunners but Harder had the last word with two late headers and a close-range finish.
Sofia Cantore's powerful strike made sure Juventus got the better of group debutants Vålerenga in a tight encounter in Oslo. The forward hit a crisp right-footed drive into the far corner just before the half-hour after good work by Chiara Beccari.
The hosts cranked up the pressure in search of an equaliser, with Sara Hørte nodding against the woodwork before the break and having a header cleared off the line by Viola Calligaris late on.
16 October: Juventus vs Bayern, Arsenal vs Vålerenga
Group D
After twice falling in qualifying, City finally earned a group stage debut this season by beating Paris FC and made a dream start against the holders, who had never previously dropped a point before Matchday 4. The visitors began brightly but City hit back and led at half-time through Naomi Layzell’s first senior goal after a corner.
Although another period of away pressure followed, Khadija Shaw broke away and rolled in the clincher late on. The only downside for City was a late injury to Layzell.
Hammarby delighted a Swedish record group-stage crowd of 7,562 as the competition rookies, who beat Benfica to qualify, made a winning start. Against a team playing at this stage for the third year running, Hammarby took the lead when Vilde Hasund found the bottom corner with a pinpoint left-footed effort in the 18th minute.
St. Pölten improved in the second period and threatened from set pieces, but Cathinka Tandberg, whose last-gasp goal at Benfica booked Hammarby's group bow, produced an 88th-minute finish to deny the Austrian champions' comeback hopes.
16 October: St. Pölten vs Man City, Barcelona vs Hammarby
