Match report: Bayern Munich 3-0 Vålerenga (Women’s Champions League)

Bayern Munich defeated Vålerenga 3-0 on the final matchday of the UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase, a result that was good enough to see the Bundesliga leaders finish top and go straight through to the quarterfinals. Let’s recap.

Huge chances abound

Bayern turned on the heat instantly, Momoko Tanikawa scoring in just the second minute. Stine Ballisager added a second in the 11th, the center-back charging forward into inviting space and scoring a midfielder’s strike from distance. By the time Pernille Harder added the third in the 58th— courtesy of a Klara Bühl assist — it was already her third good chance at scoring, at least.

For basically all of the game, the Bavarians lived in the Vålerenga box. The Norwegian side defended muchly, but they did not defend well — at all. Bayern kept the attacking moves flowing, finding every which way and angle to carve their opponents apart with incisive passes and creating chance after chance after chance. It was a small wonder — partly crossbar, partly poor finishing, and a lot of goalkeeping — that Bayern didn’t blow their hapless foes out of the water.

It was a truly tour de force performance. The one time Vålerenga looked like they were about to score — breaking away on the counter behind the entire Bayern back line — Bühl charged down the threat from behind and snuffed it out like it was nothing.

Stalwart goalkeeping

There is a good shout here for an unorthodox player of the match in Vålerenga’s Tove Enblom — the goalkeeper on the losing side of a 3-0 defeat. But Enblom put in an impressive display to deny not only the number, but the quality of chances Bayern was putting in — including a one-on-one against Klara Bühl and a terrific shot from Momoko Tanikawa, as well as a penalty save on Georgia Stanway. She and her seven saves, four from inside the box, was the reason this wasn’t an avalanche.

Of course there were a number of excellent individual displays from Bayern as well. Hard to pick between Ballisager, Tanikawa, and Bühl. Chime in with your Bayern POTM below — we’ll give it to Momo.

Help from abroad

Bayern started the day in sixth place and with scarcely any hope of making up eight points in goal differential on Juventus and Real Madrid — but both sides dropped points. Juventus went down 1-0 to Manchester United and Real were headed for the same result against Twente before a last-gasp goal leveled it.

The Bavarians needed help from both teams and that is exactly what they got. VfL Wolfsburg for a while put Chelsea behind Bayern, too, with Alexandra Popp striking first. But goals from Lucy Bronze and Sam Kerr put the Blues back on top in the end and in third.

Looking ahead

It’s been a fun fall for FC Bayern fans and a successful one. After some disappointments, including an early UWCL result against Barcelona whose scoreline we won’t mention, the Bavarians are straight through to the quarters and six points clear at the top of the league. One more match, a road trip to face Leverkusen on December 22nd, and it’s the holidays.

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…