Bayern v Man City Women: Champions League Opener Brings Heavyweight Start
Manchester City opened their Women's Champions League campaign away to Bayern Munich in Germany on 22 September 2026.
It was a Matchday 1 tie in the 2026/27 competition, Europe's top tournament for women's club sides. A strong start mattered. Both teams wanted early points on the board.
Kick-off was scheduled for 5.45pm BST, according to The Guardian. In Munich that meant 18:45 local time. The game was staged at Uhlsport Park in Unterhaching, also known as Sportpark Unterhaching.
Bayern named Mahmutovic, Gilles, Viggosdottir, Gwinn, Damnjanovic, Dallmann, Amani, Buhl, Tanikawa, Kett and Harder in their starting 11. Their substitutes were Klink, Ballisager, Potsi, Mattner, Alara, Naschenweng, Proost, Zadrazil, Dunst, Edna and Kappes. The team sheets were published ahead of kick-off.
Manchester City replied with Yamashita, Casparij, Rose, Greenwood, Wamser, Coffey, Hasegawa, Fujino, Mead, Shaw and Hemp. Their bench was Cumings, Moorhouse, Clinton, Fowler, Blindkilde Brown, Prior, Lewis and Burdon. It was a blend of England regulars and Japan internationals.
The tie sat inside the opening nights of a new 18-team league phase, scheduled to get under way on 22-23 September. The league phase is the opening section of the competition, where results decide who reaches the knockout rounds. The season is due to end with the final in Warsaw in May 2027, according to UEFA.
Elsewhere on Matchday 1, Barcelona began their title defence against Paris FC, per UEFA. City were then scheduled to face Real Madrid at home on 1 October 2026 at 20:00 UK time. The calendar moved quickly.
Bayern arrived with recent knockout experience. Momoko Tanikawa came off the bench to create one goal and score the winner in their 3-2 win over Manchester United last season, according to Reuters. That is United, the other Manchester club. Bayern then lost 4-2 to Barcelona in the second leg of the semi-final to go out 5-3 on aggregate, per Reuters.
For fans, this is what makes opening night fun. New signings bed in. Young players get a first taste of Europe. And one early away performance can shape the mood around the whole group stage.
