- Head-to-head: Bayern have won all three of the previous meetings between the sides.
- Recent form: Bayern have won their last five consecutive matches in all competitions, scoring 20 goals and allowing four.
- Season record: Manchester United (W) have won 11, drawn five and lost two of 18 games in the WSL this season.
Bayern to book semi-final spot in goal fest
Bayern Munich (W) take a 3-2 lead into Wednesday’s second leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final with Manchester United (W) after a dramatic victory at Old Trafford. With first-leg leads to protect, home advantage and red-hot form, the Bavarian powerhouses are likely to close out this contest with another victory and earn the right to face either Barcelona or Real Madrid in the last four of this expanded edition of the UEFA Women’s Champions League 2025-2026.
But United have some fighting spirit of their own and may not give in easily in Munich with the quality of Hanna Lundkvist and Maya Le Tissier - both of whom scored in the first leg to keep the tie alive - likely to trouble the hosts again.
The Red Devils are second in the WSL, having won 11, drawn five and lost only two of their 18 league games this term. Marc Skinner has done a brilliant job with a young team and has led them into a rare UWCL quarter-final by playing a progressive possession-based game.
United’s 2-1 comeback against Everton at the weekend showed their grit and a 2-0 away victory against Atletico Madrid in the UWCL play-off round was equally as impressive. The Red Devils' 4-2-3-1 or narrow 4-3-3 system is packed with counter-pressing qualities, fast transitions and the pace to punish unorganised defenses.
Barcala’s impact
Bayern have found that vertical style of play again under José Barcala, whose high-intensity, attacking football has also taken them to the top of the Frauen-Bundesliga with 19 wins and one draw after 20 games. Barcala’s side have scored 79 goals and allowed only six in domestic soccer this term and, with the help of a little luck, have dominated games all over Europe this season.
Second-ball dominance and attacking adaptability
Bayern’s style is to dominate second-balls and aerial duels with plenty of bodies in the box, but they are also capable of controlling the pace of games when they have the ball and can play through the thirds. Their wide players create as much as they cross and their forward line can be adapted to suit any game state, which is why they have scored so many goals this year.
A draw looks unlikely, given Bayern’s aggregate lead and form. There’s little value in Bayern to win at 1.51 with United the long shots at 5.6 and the draw priced at 4.35 for this matchup, which has all the makings of a classic European matchup.
We have taken the draw as our secondary wager because of United’s fighting spirit and some of the players they have coming into this tie at their peak. However, Bayern’s superior form and home advantage should see them through and we cannot ignore the potential for a goal fest in Munich.
Over 2.5 goals looks a sure thing at 1.48, particularly as set pieces and late drama played a big part in the previous meeting. Phallon Tullis-Joyce is among the WSL leaders for clean sheets, but Bayern’s backline of Vanessa Gilles and Stine Ballisager is perhaps the best in the world and have kept more clean sheets than any other team in the Frauen-Bundesliga this year.
- The Bayern players most likely to make the difference on Wednesday are Pernille Harder, who scored twice in Manchester, and Klara Bühl, who has been a brilliant wide playmaker in both Bundesliga and Europe.
- United’s aerial threat comes from Fridolina Rolfö, who can hurt on the counter, while Jess Park has started scoring in the WSL and scored some big goals for United in Europe.
