Bayern Munich 2-2 Manchester City: Wamser Rescues City on Their European Opening Night
City came back from two goals down in Munich and missed a penalty, then snatched a draw that ends English clubs' losing run against Bayern.
Match Card
| Competition | UEFA Women's Champions League – League Phase, Matchday 1 |
| Date | Tuesday, 22 September 2026 – 19:45 |
| Result | Bayern Munich 2 – 2 Manchester City |
| Half-time | 2 – 1 |
Goals
| Minute | Team | Scorer |
|---|---|---|
| 11' | Bayern Munich | Giulia Gwinn |
| 28' | Bayern Munich | Kerstin Casparij (own goal) |
| 45' | Manchester City | Beth Mead |
| 86' | Manchester City | Carlotta Wamser |
Turning point: 60th minute – goalkeeper Ena Mahmutovic saves Bunny Shaw's penalty.
Starting Line-ups
Bayern Munich: Mahmutovic – Gilles, Viggosdottir, Gwinn, Damnjanovic, Dallmann, Amani, Buhl, Tanikawa, Kett, Harder.
Manchester City: Yamashita – Casparij, Rose, Greenwood (c), Wamser, Coffey, Hasegawa, Fujino, Mead, Hemp, Shaw.
Match Report
Some matches are counted in points. Others are counted in what they reveal. Tuesday night's 2-2 draw between Bayern Munich and Manchester City was the second kind. Bayern controlled the first half and then let their advantage go. City went two goals down and came back. Both sides left with a point, but it meant something different to each.
Thirty Minutes of Bavarian Control
Bayern started with the confidence of last season's semi-finalists, unbeaten in 15 home matches in the competition. Giulia Gwinn finished a quick counter-attack in the 11th minute to open the scoring. In the 28th minute, Kerstin Casparij turned the ball into her own net. At that point City looked short of answers against an opponent who knows its home ground well.
Mead Opens the Door Before the Break
Just before half-time, Beth Mead followed up a Bunny Shaw shot and scored from close range. The goal did less to the scoreline than to City's state of mind. They went into the dressing room knowing Bayern could be broken down.
A Missed Penalty
In the 60th minute, goalkeeper Ena Mahmutovic brought down Aoba Fujino inside the box and City were awarded a penalty. Bunny Shaw, the team's top scorer and main attacking threat, stepped up, but Mahmutovic saved her shot. City's comeback could have collapsed at that moment, but they kept pushing.
Wamser on Her European Debut
In the 86th minute Carlotta Wamser found herself unmarked in the penalty area and curled home from the left to equalise. Wamser is German and was playing her first Champions League match, so a German player scored the equaliser at Bayern. Three other City players also made their European debuts: Jade Rose, Sam Coffey and Grace Clinton.
Beyond the Scoreline
With this draw, Manchester City became the first English club to avoid defeat against Bayern Munich in European competition. Bayern will go back to the tape to understand how they gave up a two-goal lead at home, and how a player was left unmarked in the box in the closing minutes. In the new league-phase format everything ends in a single table, and the two points Bayern dropped tonight could cost them in the final count.
Dr. Talal Othman, General Manager — GCC Sport
