Bayern Munich Frauen defeated Hacken on Thursday to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout round. Despite going down a goal in the 36th minute, the visitors were able to rally to score five unanswered goals to win 5-1 in their final away fixture of the group stage.
How it unfolded
Hacken opened the scoring when Stina Blackstenius received a pass from Stine Larsen and was able to dispatch her attempt past Janina Leitzig. The home team’s lead would not last long as Viviane Asseyi scored just three minutes later from close range following a big rebound in front of goal.
Right before halftime, Bayern took the lead and never looked back. Jovana Damnjanovic scored her first goal of the night to make it 2-1 in the 45th minute. In the second half, the Serbian forward would score her second goal of the match in the 54th minute. Damnjanovic’s two goals allow her to become Bayern’s current top scorer in this season’s Champions League.
After Damnjanovic’s brace, Bayern Munich Frauen would add two more goals to their advantage. Linda Dallmann blocked a pass from a defender in the 73rd minute which allowed her to chip the ball past the Hacken goalkeeper on a breakaway attempt to make it 4-1. Lineth Beerensteyn concluded the scoring in the 87th minute when she scored from close range from a cross from Maximiliane Rall.
Knockout round secured
Bayern’s 5-1 win ensures they will advance to the knockout round. Lyon defeated Benfica in the other Group D fixture which means Bayern has a six-point advantage over Benfica entering the final matchday. Currently, Bayern sits in second place with ten points as they are two points adrift from first place Lyon who have amassed 12 points.
Benfica will be Bayern’s opponent on Matchday Six. The two clubs drew 0-0 the first time they met this season. Bayern could still win Group D if Lyon loses to Hacken in their match and Die Roten defeats Benfica.
Currently, Bayern is the only Frauen-Bundesliga club that has advanced to the knockout round. Wolfsburg has yet to secure qualification as they will enter Matchday Six in third place in their group.
Having reached the semifinal of the competition in two of the last three seasons, Bayern will certainly be looking for another strong run in the knockout rounds. The draw for the quarterfinals is set to take place on December 20th and Bayern will learn their fate as they look to reach the semifinals once more.
Up next
Bayern Munich Frauen will turn their attention back to the Frauen-Bundesliga this weekend as they face Turbine Potsdam on Sunday. A win for Bayern could see them move to the top of the table if first place Wolfsburg either loses or draws with Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.