Women’s Champions League Opens With Late Arsenal Win and City Comeback

The women’s Champions League league phase opened on 22 September with a stoppage-time Arsenal win and a Manchester City recovery from two goals down at Bayern Munich. The contrasting finishes underscore how little can be inferred from an early lead on the first night of a long league phase.

Arsenal beat HB Køge Women 1-0 after Mariona Caldentey converted an added-time penalty. The Danish visitors had held out through long periods of Arsenal possession, with goalkeeper Alberte Vingum keeping the score level before Selina Cerci was fouled in the area. City drew 2-2 at Bayern: Giulia Gwinn’s early goal and a Kerstin Casparij own goal gave the hosts a two-goal advantage, but Beth Mead reduced the deficit and Carlotta Wamser struck late. City had also missed a penalty through Khadija Shaw during the comeback.

Elsewhere, Inter won 1-0 against Häcken on its league-phase debut, Benfica won 2-1 at Juventus, and Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain. The set of results shows different routes to points: a late penalty, a comeback, and a debut victory. They are opening-round outcomes rather than conclusions about who will progress.

The competition continues with further first-match fixtures, including Barcelona and Chelsea, on 23 September. Teams will be judged across the league phase, where an early point can matter without settling the standings. The first night’s immediate lesson is that the margin between a win and draw remained live into the closing minutes in more than one major fixture.