Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, 10 November, to move up to second in the UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase.

Pernille Harder was at the centre of both Bayern goals in the first half. In the 29th minute, the Denmark international raced to the byline and cut the ball back across goal, with PSG goalkeeper Katarzyna Kiedrzynek deflecting it into her own net. Harder then supplied the pass for Klara Bühl to double the lead in the 40th minute, finishing emphatically from inside the area.

PSG cut the deficit midway through the second half when Paulina Dudek converted a penalty in the 65th minute, awarded after a VAR check for handball. Bayern held on through the closing stages to inflict PSG’s first defeat of this league phase.

Bühl stars again against PSG

Bühl was named Player of the Match, and she has now either scored or assisted in five of her six UEFA Women’s Champions League appearances against PSG, with two goals and three assists in those games.

Both teams started the evening level on five points, but the win lifted unbeaten Bayern to eight points and second place on goal difference, ahead of Chelsea, who were held to a 0-0 draw at Häcken. It was Bayern’s second win of the league phase, after 2-2 draws in their previous marquee fixtures against Manchester City and Real Madrid.

The result strengthened Bayern’s hopes of a second straight top-four finish in the league phase, with only the top four advancing to the quarter-finals. Bayern will host Barcelona in the sixth and final round on 16 December.

Harder was involved in both goals, first forcing the opener with a run to the byline and a low cutback, then picking out Bühl with an angled pass for the second. Bühl had been rested for Bayern’s league game against Werder Bremen at the weekend and returned to make the difference in Paris, while the penalty that gave PSG hope followed a handball by Linda Dallmann.

Bayern remain unbeaten in the league phase, and the win keeps them firmly in the race for a top-four finish and a direct route to the quarter-finals. PSG, who had been unbeaten before Tuesday, will look to respond when they visit Chelsea in their next league phase fixture.

Elsewhere on matchday four

Manchester City also recorded their first win of the league phase, coming from behind to beat Inter 4-1, while Real Madrid beat Paris FC 3-0 and Roma defeated Servette 2-1. Chelsea remain unbeaten and are yet to concede a goal after four matchdays, despite being held by Häcken in Gothenburg. Read the match report on BuliNews and the reaction on Bavarian Football Works.