FC Bayern Women fight back to draw with Real Madrid in the UEFA Women's Champions League

FC Bayern Women came from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Real Madrid on Matchday 3 of the league phase in the 2026/27 UEFA Women’s Champions League. Early goals from Athenea and Lineth Beerensteyn gave Germany’s double winners a mountain to climb in the first competitive meeting between the clubs, but Edna Imade and Momoko Tanikawa struck back either side of half-time to maintain Bayern’s record of having never lost in 17 home games in the group stage/league phase of the Champions League.

Imade keeps Bayern in game

The visitors from Madrid made the better start when Linda Caicedo got to the left byline and squared the ball to Athenea, for the Real captain to turn in after just seven minutes. José Barcala’s side looked to shake off that disappointment and controlled play, looking particularly dangerous down the left with deliveries from Klara Bühl and Franziska Kett that found nobody in red in the middle.

However, it was Madrid who struck next when ex-Bayern midfielder Arianna Caruso floated a free-kick into the box, with María Méndez able to head the ball back across goal. Pernille Harder looked to clear off the line, but it fell to Beerensteyn to head in. Bayern responded after half an hour when Imade rose to meet Bühl’s corner and power her header home to bring the score back to 2-1. Harder missed the chance to level when she put Linda Dallmann’s cross over. Bühl and Dallmann both had further opportunities of their own before the break but couldn’t make them count.

Tanikawa continues comeback, but no winner

The Munich Frauen remained on the front foot after the restart and got themselves level within seven minutes. Dallmann first saw her shot saved by Merle Frohms, but Tanikawa gathered the rebound and curled into the top corner with her left foot.

Bayern’s continued push to take the lead was thwarted by Frohms as she first kept out Harder before Imade put her shot at Real’s German goalkeeper after lovely combination play between Tanikawa and Harder.

Imade was again denied, and both Harder and Bühl put efforts off target. A Magdalena Eriksson header from a Bühl corner drifted just over and substitute Sophie Proost struck the base of the right post in added time as it finished all square in Unterhaching and Bayern move to five points from three games in the league phase.

Cup and Bremen

Bayern are next in action on Sunday when they host Bayer Leverkusen at the Campus in the last 16 of the DFB Cup (15:00 CET). The following Friday, Barcala’s side make the long trip north for a Bundesliga clash at Werder Bremen.