Marc Skinner has issued a determined response after Manchester United Women fell to a narrow defeat against Bayern Munich Women in the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final first leg.
In a fiercely contested encounter at Old Trafford, United battled back twice but were ultimately edged 3-2 on aggregate after a late strike from Momoko Tanikawa.
Earlier in the tie, Maya Le Tissier converted from the spot, while Hanna Lundkvist rose to head home: both cancelling out goals from Pernille Harder, whose brace underlined Bayern’s attacking threat.
As the match unfolded, Bayern’s tactical shift proved decisive, with their direct transitions catching United off guard and turning defence into attack in a flash.
Reflecting after the final whistle, Skinner admitted his side has now seen what it takes to compete at the highest level.
“Bayern changed their game tonight,” Skinner said. “They’re usually a possession-based team, [but they were] more direct. We’ve felt that now and we must turn it around. We’re still in the tie for sure, so we know we need to go to the Allianz [Arena] and win.”
Despite conceding inside the opening minutes, United showed resilience to claw their way back into the contest; something Skinner was quick to acknowledge as the team looks ahead to the return leg in Munich.
With Bayern taking the lead so early, inside the first two minutes, the boss gave “credit to the players” that they were able to fight back and not let that setback affect the mentality.
“We are still in the tie,” he stated. “Really, I think it’s given us a taste of what we must do to go into the second leg and try and attack Bayern.
“We know they’re a fantastic team, but I think there’s frustration from the players tonight, you [will] see that in the performance next week.”
With the tie finely poised, United now gear up for a decisive second-leg clash at the Allianz Arena: where intensity, precision, and belief will be key to overturning the deficit.
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