Man United’s significant evening ended in disappointment, yet their resolve remained intact.

MANCHESTER, England — Bayern Munich’s exceptional forward Pernille Harder was raised in a Manchester United family. Her father is a supporter of the club, and she naturally followed his lead. She recalls Ryan Giggs’ goal against Arsenal in 1999, with her father often updating her on the performance of fellow Dane Peter Schmeichel during his time as the club’s goalkeeper.

However, for United, that initial enthusiasm for the club has transformed into Harder’s remarkable knack for scoring against them. On a chilly evening, she netted two nearly identical goals in each half at Old Trafford. Although United made attempts to equalize on both occasions, Momoko Tanikawa’s winner in the 83rd minute secured a 3-2 victory for the German side, giving them a strong advantage in the tie ahead of the return leg in Munich next week.

This outcome was not the expectation from a United standpoint. Marc Skinner’s pre-match message to the Manchester United players before one of the most significant nights in the women’s team’s history was to “maximize the moment.”

– Barcelona remind Real Madrid who reigns supreme in UWCL
– Arsenal teach Chelsea a UWCL lesson in clinical finishing
– Is there VAR in the UEFA Women’s Champions League?

He urged his team to embrace everything that came with their UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Bayern Munich: to stand tall at Old Trafford and create their own chapter in the storied history of this matchup between the two clubs. He emphasized the need to fight from the first minute to the last.

Yet, United conceded just 98 seconds into the match. Their defense was split by a single pass from Arianna Caruso, allowing Harder ample time to choose her spot and give Bayern the lead.

Everyone has a strategy until they face an unexpected challenge. Perhaps by the time United’s players had processed all the pre-match messaging and mentally prepared for such an occasion, the initial setback caught them off guard.

Nevertheless, credit goes to United for regrouping, getting back on their feet, and capitalizing on a handball by Bayern captain Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir, which provided Maya Le Tissier with an opportunity to level the score. However, from that point onward, United struggled to take control of the match, remaining reactive rather than proactive.

This is uncharted territory for this group of United players, marking their first experience in the Champions League. Each match presents a new challenge. Additionally, it seems they are navigating this journey with significant limitations, given the thin nature of their squad.

They were missing key players Ella Toone, Anna Sandberg, Dominique Janssen, Leah Galton, and Ellen Wangerheim.

Midfielder Hinata Miyazawa, who won the Asian Cup for Japan in Sydney on Saturday, returned on Monday, trained on Tuesday, and played tonight. She serves as the team’s heartbeat. The absence of those players left Skinner with a straightforward decision regarding his lineup, as he had only five outfield players available on the bench.

Thus, it was a familiar scenario when Tanikawa delivered another through ball into the heart of United’s defense, allowing Harder to find the net again in the 71st minute, making it 2-1. United responded quickly, with Hanna Lundkvist scoring from a corner just five minutes later, but it felt as though United had exhausted their energy by that point.

The match was frantic, at times disorganized and chaotic, yet Bayern still had an extra gear, making it unsurprising when Tanikawa scored a stunning winner with six minutes remaining. Bayern held the advantage, but United were not entirely out of contention.

United’s budget is significantly lower than that of their Women’s Super League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, who played in their quarterfinal at the Emirates the previous night. Therefore, it is a considerable achievement for them to have progressed this far, especially considering their journey began on August 27 with a qualifying match against PSV. They then advanced through the group stage, where they secured victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus but lost to OL Lyonnes and Wolfsburg.

With Bayern visiting, a team unbeaten in 12 matches and leading the Frauen-Bundesliga by 11 points, United were seen as underdogs. Despite their poor start, they fought back and did not concede further, although it always appeared that Bayern were the superior side.

Harder has become a persistent challenge for United. She has recorded five goals and two assists in eight matches against them during her time at Chelsea (2020-23) and this match with Bayern.

One would think they would have learned that if given an opportunity, she would capitalize. She was relentless, while Georgia Stanway worked hard in midfield, and Franziska Kett also performed admirably. This was achieved without the exceptional Klara Bühl and Lena Oberdorf. At times, Bayern appeared slightly sluggish, as their passes were not always precise, allowing United more chances in front of goal than they should have had.

This might be the result of having a substantial lead at the top of the league and consistently defeating opponents week after week. Their approximately 20 traveling fans were vocal throughout, often being the only voices heard from the lone stand with spectators, although their rendition of “Football’s Coming Home” in the closing moments was somewhat peculiar.

For United, Lea Schüller’s performance in front of goal remains a concern. She was brought in from Bayern to serve as their primary attacking option, yet she has managed only one goal thus far, which came against third-tier Burnley in the FA Cup.

Once again, she worked hard against Bayern and put in a significant effort, but could not find the breakthrough. Le Tissier also contributed significantly in defense, while Julia Zigiotti Olme was the standout player in midfield. Jess Park displayed some impressive moments off the wing, but ultimately, United lacked the finishing power to convert their chances from open play.

Two set-piece goals were a reasonable return from the opportunities created, but they need to find more potency in attack if they hope to succeed in Munich.

The nostalgia surrounding this fixture was palpable; it is unfortunate that there were not more fans present to experience it. The attendance of 7,513 left many empty seats in Old Trafford, and judging by the screens in the press box, it would have made sense to fill the TV arc on the far side of the stadium to demonstrate that this match was not a throwback to the pandemic era of sparse crowds.

However, those who attended witnessed a United team that responded to Skinner’s call to fight until the end. The only drawback for United was that Bayern possessed a touch more quality, along with a player in Harder who relishes scoring against them.