Arsenal Women Set to Face Bayern Munich in Champions League Opener

Arsenal Women, under the management of Jonas Eidevall, are poised to take on Bayern Munich in the opening group match of the UEFA Women's Champions League. The fixture, scheduled for Wednesday evening in Germany, marks the beginning of a demanding schedule as Arsenal will compete in four matches across 12 days.

Speaking ahead of their Champions League fixture, Eidevall emphasized the importance of both the European competition and the domestic league. “For me, the Champions League is very special,” stated Eidevall. “We are in four competitions, but the Champions League and the league will always be very special to me and to the team. Right now, we are in a situation where we need to go full-throttle in both of them.”

Arsenal returns to the Champions League group stage after failing to qualify last season. Meanwhile, their opponents, Bayern Munich, also have a point to prove after they were eliminated at the same stage in the previous campaign. The two teams last competed in 2023, where Arsenal overturned a first-leg deficit to advance.

The Gunners enter the match having secured one win and two draws in the Women’s Super League so far, but they have only managed to score three goals. Despite this, Eidevall praised the team’s defensive performances, citing clean sheets in their last three outings. “We are putting such high standards on ourselves and we are so demanding,” Eidevall remarked, noting their solid defensive record against Everton.

Bayern Munich, in contrast, have exhibited impressive form, scoring 18 goals in their opening Frauen-Bundesliga matches. Eidevall commented on Bayern’s strengths, saying, “They are really strong in counter-attacking. They move with a lot of pace and that part you have to look out for. They are well-organized, but so are we.”

Arsenal’s midfielder Lia Walti expressed the squad’s eagerness to compete on the European stage once again, stating, “The Champions League is a competition we all want to win. I believe we belong there and we have the quality to compete for the trophy.”