Key events
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Bayern Munich (Fox 5)
The champions are quick off the mark. McCabe whips a cross from the left – it’s cleared away before Mead strikes from inside the area. It’s straight at van Domselaar, who makes the save but really should do better – she parries it, with Fox present to head the bouncing ball into the net.
4 min: Damnjanovic breaks down the left for Bayern on the counter, but Arsenal already look in decent control, wheeling the ball around tidily.
3 min: Caldentey drives through the midfield for Arsenal, finding Russo, who is operating in the No 10 hole.
1 min: Wubben-Moy blasts long into the right channel but the ball is shielded and out for a Bayern goalkick.
Peeeeeep!
Bayern rock their red-and-white number; Arsenal are in blue. The hosts get things going.
The players emerge from the tunnel; we’ll get going shortly.
Sophie Downey was at the NV Arena last night for a dominant Chelsea victory.
Suzanne Wrack reports on Arsenal’s ACL problem, with Katie Reid the latest to be sidelined by an injury that continues to trouble the women’s game.
Arsenal are unchanged from their 1-1 draw with Chelsea, while Bayern make one switch from their last game: Pernille Harder, the star of this fixture last year, is on the bench.
The teams
Bayern: Grohs, Gwinn, Viggosdottir, Ballisager, Kett, Tanikawa, Stanway, Dallmann, Damnjanovic, Bühl, Schüller
Subs: Mahmutovic, Klink, Gilles, Eriksson, Alara, Naschenweng, Harder, Padilla-Bidas, Caruso, Simon, Zähringer
Arsenal: Van Domselaar, Fox, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe, Mead, Pelova, Caldentey, Foord, Russo, Blackstenius
Subs: Borbe, Liddiard, Codina, Hinds, Nighswonger, Harwood, Cooney-Cross, Maanum, Kelly, Smith
Preamble
To the Allianz we go. Arsenal’s results are on the up, three consecutive victories followed by Alessia Russo’s late equaliser against Chelsea on Saturday. Even if they weren’t at their best in Lisbon last month, they got the three points.
Arsenal visited Bayern in last season’s Champions League, with Pernille Harder’s quickfire hat-trick delivering a 5-2 win for the hosts 13 months ago. But that kickstarted a glorious run, with Arsenal winning their remaining five group-stage games. They arrive in Munich this time round as European champions.
Bayern enter this fixture unbeaten in the Frauen-Bundesliga this season but also with a 7-1 defeat by Barcelona. They’ll search for a statement win; Arsenal will look to parade their continental pedigree. Kick-off’s at 5.45pm GMT.
