Bayern Munich Frauen conclude UCL group stage with 4-0 win

Bayern Munich Frauen defeated Benfica 4-0 on Wednesday at the FC Bayern Campus to conclude their UEFA Champions League group stage campaign. The victory did not change the order in Group D but qualification for the quarterfinals had already been secured in last week’s win over Hacken. Bayern finishes second while Lyon claimed the top spot in the group. Now that the group stage has ended, attention will turn to the draw for the quarterfinals which will take place on December 20th.

How it unfolded

After coming close to opening the scoring in the first 25 minutes multiple times, Die Roten was able to break the deadlock in the 26th minute. Kea Lea Vihjalmsdottir intercepted a back pass intended for the goalkeeper and scored from close range to score her first career Champions League goal for the Bavarian club.

Just minutes after Vihjalmsdottir scored, Die Roten scored the second goal. This time it was Lea Schuller who found the back of the net. The striker dispatched a header from a well-placed cross from Klara Buhl.

In the second half, Bayern would add two more goals in quick succession. In the 48th minute, Giulia Gwinn dispatched a penalty kick and then Buhl took advantage of another Benfica turnover to score in the 49th minute.

Having been held to a scoreless draw by Benfica on Matchday One it was a completely different outcome this time around as Bayern were able to take advantage of their scoring opportunities. In their first meeting, Die Roten had just three shots on target but on Wednesday they registered seven shots on target. (Stats courtesy: fbref)

Commanding defensive performance

Benfica was held to zero shots on target by Bayern which resulted in Die Roten’s tenth clean sheet in all competitions this season. This was the first time in the group stage that Bayern was able to hold an opponent to zero shots on target. However, it was not the first clean sheet of the group stage campaign as Bayern will finish with four clean sheets in six matches.

Finishing strong

It was a fantastic finish to the group stage campaign by Die Roten. After only one win in their first three fixtures, they went on to win all three of their final group stage fixtures. Despite not winning the group they certainly have shown they are capable of reaching the semifinals of the competition once more.

Up Next

On Sunday, Bayern will play their final match before the Frauen-Bundesliga winter break begins. They will face Werder Bremen who currently occupies the tenth place in the table. A victory could see Bayern Munich move up to the top spot in the table if Wolfsburg fails to win against Turbine Potsdam. Only one point separates second place Bayern and first place Wolfsburg in the table.