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The London side needed a impressive performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and ignited their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a turning point in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are still searching for the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a corner of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the stands below.

Building on Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the result against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to take the energy of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was exploited. Mead intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper.

After Break Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a cross in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.