Bayern fight back from goalless first half to beat Benfica

Bayern claimed a hard-fought 3-0 win over Benfica at the Estádio da Luz on Wednesday, their first three points of the new Women's Champions League season coming in their first away match of the campaign. Klara Bühl, Pernille Harder and Franziska Kett scored in a 14-minute spell late in the second half after a first half in which neither side could find a way through.

Bayern had been held by Manchester City in their opening group game and, with nine changes to the side from their previous match, the victory required a second-half adjustment before the goals arrived.

An open first half without a goal

The contest began with attacking, end-to-end football from both teams. Bayern registered the first attempt on goal in the sixth minute, but Jovana Damnjanović could not generate enough power on her header from 12 metres following a cross from Linda Dallmann.

As the half developed Bayern took more of the play and began to control proceedings, but they struggled to find gaps against an alert Benfica defence. Crosses from Giulia Gwinn and Bühl repeatedly failed to find their intended recipients, while Harder was also denied after breaking into the penalty area. The best opportunity of the period actually fell to the hosts, a blocked pass running to the feet of Fröya Dorsin, whose shot from 20 metres was saved by a diving Ena Mahmutovic.

With Benfica coach José Barcala's side growing in pressure, the action took place almost exclusively in the Benfica half, but every attempt, whether from distance or following combinations in the penalty area, was blocked by a foot or a leg. The two teams therefore went in goalless at the break.

Benfica respond after the restart

Benfica started the second period brightly and Andreia Norton, on at half-time, tested Mahmutovic at her near post immediately after the restart. The resulting corner was flicked onto the far post, where Catarina Amado only just failed to make contact.

Six minutes later Bayern attacked quickly down the left flank and a deflected square pass ran through to Gwinn, whose long-range effort was also deflected wide. From the subsequent corner Damnjanović attempted a bicycle kick, but goalkeeper Lena Pauels was equal to it.

Bayern kept going against the battling hosts and were almost rewarded in the 58th minute. Bühl's precise delivery from the left found Harder around the penalty spot and the Dane met the ball well with her head, but it sailed centimetres over the bar. At the other end, Chandra Davidson also went close with a header following a corner.

Three goals in 14 minutes

The breakthrough finally arrived on 74 minutes. Bühl picked up the ball following a Pauels goal kick, skipped away from a defender with a quick sidestep and, from the edge of the box, unleashed a powerful strike that went in off the inside of the post to make it 1-0.

Benfica were visibly winded and Bayern doubled their lead six minutes later with a historic goal. The hosts failed to clear a cross and Harder pounced, sweeping the ball in at the near post to become only the fourth player to reach 50 goals in the Women's Champions League.

The third and final goal came from a counter-attacking move Kett initiated herself. Her pass to Bühl was returned to her in the penalty area, and the full-back did the rest to round off the night.

What the players said

Bühl was pleased with the way her side adjusted at the interval. "We had to really dig deep tonight. The first half was open, then at the break we tweaked our pressing in particular. That was a key factor. A lot of work went into this 3-0 win. We closed the spaces well and showed in the second half what we're capable of: possession, drive towards goal and efficiency. Our aim is to manage that consistently over 90 minutes."

Linda Dallmann, who captained the midfield and was among those booked, highlighted the difficulty of the assignment. "There are no easy away games in the Champions League. We struggled especially in the first half to create chances. We kept our heads in the closing stages, and I'm proud that we didn't panic at any point. The whole team have the ambition and the level, which we've not been able to show it over the full 90 minutes yet."

What comes next

Bayern return to Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga action on Saturday 3 October, travelling to Eintracht Frankfurt for a top-of-the-table clash before the first international break of the season. Two weeks later, on Monday 19 October, Bayern bring Matchday 7 to a close with a first home match against VfB Stuttgart.

SportsLigue