FCB Women rescue point away at Roma in dramatic finish

FC Bayern Women earned a draw in their opening fixture of 2024 as Alexander Straus's team twice went behind twice at AS Roma on Wednesday night in the UEFA Women’s Champions League but fought back to level at 2-2. Valentina Giacinti (33’) gave the hosts the lead in the first half at the die Stadio Tre Fontane. Lea Schüller (87’) equalised late on before an exciting finish. Manuela Giugliano restored the lead for the home side in added time (90'+3) before Schüller (90'+6) levelled at 2-2 with her second goal of the game. 

Thanks to the draw, Bayern move up to second spot for the time being with seven points on the penultimate matchday. Paris Saint-Germain (six points) can go above FCB with a win against group leaders Ajax (seven). Roma are bottom of the group on five points.

Four changes to the starting line-up

Straus made four changes to the line-up from the narrow 1-0 defeat away to Ajax before the winter break. Tuva Hansen started in defence in place of Tainara, who was sidelined through illness. In midfield, Pernille Harder and Klara Bühl came in to starting XI for Sydney Lohmann and Franziska Kett. Jovana Damnjanović made way for Schüller up front.

FCB had to manage without the long-term injured players Carolin Simon (torn cruciate), Weronika Zawistowska (torn cruciate), Cécilía Rán Rúnarsdóttir (dislocated kneecap), Ana María Guzmán (knee) and Magdalena Eriksson (metatarsal), plus winter signing Linda Sembrant who is not eligible for the forthcoming group matches in the Champions League.

Narrow deficit at half-time

It was an open encounter from the start. The first threat for the visitors came on 16 minutes when a whipped cross from Giulia Gwinn was put over the bar of the Roma goal by Schüller, but the offside flag went up anyway. Then Emilie Haavi had a shot from a tight angle but it went just wide of the target. It was end-to-end action after that. Bayern keeper Maria Luisa Grohs kept out a shot from Evelyn Wiens on 28 minutes, and a few seconds later at the other end of the pitch Harder was completely unmarked as she was found by a cross from the right. Only a brilliant save by Camelia Ceasar prevented the opening goal. The follow-up shot from Linda Dallmann went over the bar. Giacinti was more accurate on 33 minutes when she made it 1-0 with a shot from 11 yards out.

Frenetic second half

Bayern pressed for the equaliser at the start of the second half. A cross from Bühl was headed just wide by Schüller (50’) in a promising position. Captain Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir also missed the chance to level from a corner on 52 minutes. As the game went on, the match became more intense but chances were few and far between in the second half. With minutes to go, Schüller (87’) rose highest to meet a cross from Harder to head in the equaliser. But there was more to come in Rome. The home side first regained the lead through Giugliano three minutes beyond the 90 before Schüller netted her second goal of the game in the 96th minute to spark wild celebrations for a 2-2 draw.

Home games against Hoffenheim and PSG

The champions of Germany return to league action on Saturday, 27 January with a game against Hoffenheim in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. The match at the FC Bayern Campus kicks off at 14:00 CET. Just three days later, Die Frauen host Paris Saint-Germain in the final group match in the Champions League at 21:00.