FC Bayern Women beaten in Barcelona

The FC Bayern Women suffered their first defeat of this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League as they went down 3-0 away at Barcelona in the third game of the group stage. It was the first setback for Alexander Straus’s team after two wins to begin the campaign. After a goalless first half, the FCB Women went behind two minutes following the restart through Geyse. Aitana Bonmati and Claudia Pina rounded things off in front of 46,967 spectators at the Camp Nou.

The Bavarians are now second in the group behind the Catalans on six points after three matchdays.

Tainara, Kett and Schüller start

Straus made three changes from the team that started the 7-0 win over Duisburg in the DFB Cup at the weekend. Tainara began in place of Saki Kumagai in defence, while Franziska Kett and Lea Schüller got the nod in attack for Emelyne Laurent and Linda Dallmann, who missed out through illness. It was a first start in the Champions League for 18-year-old Kett. There was also good news as Ivana Rudelic and Sydney Lohmann both returned to the squad following their injuries.

Even first half

The home side put Bayern under pressure at the start, but a good save from Maria Luisa Grohs against Geyse in the second minute prevented an early setback. Both teams tried their luck in attack. The visitors registered their first effort through Klara Bühl in the 10th minute, but she only struck the side netting after a counter. Bonmati fired just over from distance midway through the half before Grohs again ensured things would remain level going into half-time with another good stop from Bonmati shortly before the break.

Three goals in the second half

Barca raced out of the blocks in the second half as Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic delivered a cross into the six-yard box for Geyse to head in for the opener just after two minutes after the restart. Bayern weren’t deterred by the setback and Schüller came close to connecting with a Carolin Simon cross. However, Bonmati doubled the Barcelona advantage on 59 minutes when set up by Fridolina Rolfö. Pina then picked out the top corner for 3-0 after 66 minutes.

At home to Essen and at Hoffenheim

Things continue at a pace for the Frauen as they host Essen at the FC Bayern Campus in the FLYERALARM Bundesliga on Sunday, 27 November. They’re then away at Hoffenheim five days later on Friday, 2 December.