LONDON — Bayern Munich and Manchester City made it two wins from two games in their Women´s UEFA Champions League groups.
Alessia Russo rounded off a fine win for Arsenal against Valerenga in the in the team’s first game since Jonas Eidevall resigned.
Bayern won a rain-soaked game 2-0 at Juventus to rebound from having an unbeaten run of almost two years in the German league stopped at the weekend.
Man City won 3-2 at St. Polten one week after a statement 2-0 victory over two-time defending champion Barcelona, AP reported.
Rallying from an uneasy spell either side of halftime in Austria, Man City scored the winner in the 80th when Mary Fowler met a corner with a header in the goalmouth.
Bayern forward Pernille Harder again scored late to add to her hat trick in an opening 5-2 win over Arsenal last week.
Harder pounced on a loose ball in the goalmouth after a corner in the 73rd minute in a near-copy of Linda Dallman´s volleyed shot in the 17th that opened the scoring.
Man City led within five minutes from a powerful 25-yard (meter) shot by Alanna Kennedy and struck the woodwork twice before St. Polten leveled in the 40th. Melanie Brunnthaler reacted to a bouncing ball after a corner and placed a close-range shot.
St. Polten relied on a series of saves by goalkeeper Carina Schlüter before taking the lead in the 53rd, when Czech midfielder Kamila Dubcova received the ball with her back to goal and spun to volley a rising left-foot shot.
Four minutes later Man City was level when Aoba Fujino met a looping cross with a first-time shot.
Just a week after putting in one of the finest performances in the club’s history to deservedly beat the defending European champions Barcelona Gareth Taylor’s side were given a major wake-up call when Manchester City slipped 2-1 behind early in the second half.
But, having rested a swathe of first-team big-hitters from the starting lineup, Taylor called in the cavalry in the second half and a late headed winner from the Australia forward Mary Fowler gave them a 3-2 victory that felt inevitable as the early-season Women’s Super League leaders piled on pressure.
The performance will still have given Taylor plenty to ponder, however, on a night when his side’s defending from set pieces was especially poor, and they demonstrated a frustrating profligacy in front of goal at the other end.
Initially, it had appeared it would be a straightforward night when Alanna Kennedy went out of character to blast a scorching, long-range strike into the far corner to open the scoring for City inside the first five minutes.
It was the Australia centre-back’s first goal in club football since a win over Birmingham City in May 2022, and her first goal in the Women’s Champions League. “It was a hell of a hit,” said Taylor afterwards.
“To be honest I wasn’t sure when she took the strike it was the right call but she proved me wrong.”
Ironically Kennedy then spurned a chance fans would have expected her to convert, glancing a header wide at the back post from a Fowler corner when only two yards out.
Laura Blindkilde Brown also placed wide, rather tamely, from close range with another gilt-edged City chance in a first half when they were being held up by a series of fine saves from Carina Schluter.
The goalkeeper gave St Polten hope by denying Jess Park, the Japan forward Aoba Fujino and Fowler, before Fowler agonisingly saw a deflected effort hit the crossbar.
The home side then capitalised on some sloppy City defending to equalise, Melanie Brunnthaler tucking in the leveller.
Pressure had been growing on Eidevall during a painful three-game winless run under the Swedish manager, with fans booing and holding up P45 signs – calling for his sacking – following their 2-1 defeat by Chelsea on Sunday.
Eidevall stepped down on Tuesday, with assistant coach Renee Slegers put in interim charge.
“It’s been a couple of hectic days,” said Slegers after Wednesday’s game.
“I’ve always respected Jonas a lot and enjoyed working with him. I was sad and many others as well. It’s been about managing emotions and trying to stay to the task.”
Arsenal looked reinvigorated under Slegers whose stint got off to a bright start when Emily Fox tapped home inside two minutes at Emirates Stadium.
