Manchester City’s eventful return to the Women’s Champions League saw them come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 away to Bayern Munich and become the first English side to avoid defeat to the Germans in Europe. City's Germany international Carlotta Wamser was left completely unmarked in the penalty area to score her first City goal in the 86th minute after prolific striker Khadija "Bunny" Shaw had earlier missed a penalty to equalise. The visitors were worthy of a point based on their second-half performance, having been completely dominated before the interval before nicking a goal on the stroke of half-time.
Bayern were 2-0 up inside the first half-hour and had chances to put the result beyond doubt, but with seconds ticking down to the interval Kerstin Casparij's break down the right led to Beth Mead eventually tapping in. However, the hosts were unhappy that play had been allowed to continue, with a flare thrown onto the pitch as the attack developed. Casparij had crossed the ball before reaching the thick blue cloud, though, and the goal was allowed to stand.
It was the stroke of luck City needed, and they benefited again when Ena Mahmutovic appeared caught between two minds as she raced out to close down Aoba Fujino. The goalkeeper initially appeared content to let the ball run out of play, only to inexplicably stick out a leg and bring down the City winger. Shaw, who had been due to be substituted, could not capitalise and was immediately replaced.
Wamser, however, ensured the miss did not prove costly. City were fortunate to have only a two-goal deficit to overturn, with Klara Buhl and Pernille Harder both going close before Giulia Gwinn's chipped effort across Ayaka Yamashita opened the scoring in the 11th minute. Linda Dallmann had been allowed to drive unchallenged from the halfway line before finding Gwinn, who calmly lifted the ball over Yamashita and into the far corner.
Buhl then volleyed straight at Yamashita, while Jovana Damjanović blazed over as Bayern cut through City's midfield once again. Lauren Hemp almost conjured a goal out of nothing when her deflected cross clipped the top of the crossbar, but it proved only a brief respite. Harder soon whipped a cross into the box, with Casparij making a complete mess of her attempted clearance and inadvertently diverting the ball into her own net.
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