Arsenal beat Barcelona in the 2025 Champions League final
At a glance
Emily Fox and Mariona Caldentey give holders Arsenal two-goal lead at half-time
Alara Sehitler pulls one back for hosts as Gunners struggle in second half
Pernille Harder lobs Daphne van Domselaar to equalise
Glodis Viggosdottir scores dramatic 86th-minute Bayern winner
Holders Arsenal were stunned in the Women's Champions League as they squandered a two-goal lead to suffer a dramatic defeat by Bayern Munich.
Glodis Viggosdottir prodded home in the 86th minute to complete a remarkable second-half turnaround for the German hosts after a dominant first half from the Gunners.
Arsenal were in cruise control for the opening 45 minutes, needing just five minutes to open the scoring at Allianz Arena as goalkeeper Maria Grohs slapped Beth Mead's low strike straight on to the head of Emily Fox, who nodded the rebound back into the net.
The visitors then took advantage of Stine Ballisager's loose pass to double their lead in the 23rd minute, Mariona Caldentey firing home from the edge of the area after good hold-up play from Stina Blackstenius.
But the Gunners, who also hit the woodwork through Blackstenius, were made to rue their numerous first-half chances.
Bayern responded brilliantly as 18-year-old Alara Sehitler collected a Klara Buehl cross to slide the ball past Daphne van Domselaar on 67 minutes to inspire the comeback.
From there, the visitors capitulated as the home side's substitutions paid off.
Pernille Harder lobbed the goalkeeper with a fine volley to level with 10 minutes left, before Buehl claimed a third assist, picking out defender Viggosdottir for a stretching finish for the winner.
Arsenal have made a stuttering start to their title defence, bouncing back from defeat by Lyon in the opening match to beat Benfica last time out.
But this loss - and the manner of it - will be a bitter blow to their European hopes.
Analysis: Gunners 'not good enough' in game of two halves
It was not a spectacular first-half display from Arsenal, but did not need to be as Bayern looked completely out of sorts.
The two goals put them firmly on top and they could have had more as the German side were sloppy in possession and struggled with the high press from the opposition, rarely venturing out of their own half.
It was a cheap pass that led to Caldentey's strike and the visitors had further opportunities to take advantage with Blackstenius hitting the crossbar before poking an effort wide.
But Bayern's changes affected the outcome and ensured they stretched their unbeaten home run in the competition's league phase/group stage games to 14.
Sehitler's goal boosted their confidence as they began to cause Arsenal problems, especially through Buehl on the left side, and the defending champions completely relinquished control.
While Bayern's substitutions paid off, Renee Slegers failed to have the desired impact with hers - and seemed to further disrupt the Gunners' flow even more as they were undone defensively.
The rapid downturn in form will worry Slegers, whose side has struggled to find consistency and gain momentum in a patchy season.
"It's not good enough. We don't want to concede three goals in one half in the Champions League," she said.
"It's everything [missing]. It's keeping the ball, making better decisions on the ball in their half to keep the ball there for longer, because it was very transitional.
"I think we lacked a bit of physicality in those moments, so I think the game was played in their strengths and not in our strengths in the second half."
Defeat has left them facing an uphill battle to qualify in one of the top four automatic spots.
They will need wins against Real Madrid, Twente and Oud-Heverlee Leuven if they are to revive their hopes of progress.
In the Women's Super League, they are six points off the pace in the title race, sitting fourth behind Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United.
If they are to qualify again for the Champions League, a tournament which brought them joy last term, they will need to improve performances and results.
What's next for these teams?
Arsenal face north London rivals Tottenham at Brisbane Road on Sunday, 16 November (14:30 GMT) in the Women's Super League, before hosting Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League on Wednesday, 19 November (20:00 GMT).
Bayern Munich visit Paris St-Germain in the league phase on Thursday, 20 November (20:00 GMT).
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