Man City Come Back from Two Goals Down to Draw with Bayern Munich in UWCL

Manchester City rescued a point in a 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the UEFA Women's Champions League thanks to Carlotta Wamser's late equalizer, doing so despite a mostly flat performance in their return to the competition after a season away.

Bayern were on pace to execute their game plan excellently from start to finish, taking the game to City early and quickly earning a reward with an 11th-minute goal from right back Giulia Gwinn. Linda Dallmann received the ball in Bayern's half and then crossed the halfway line before noticing Gwinn to her right with plenty of space. Dallmann picked out the pass with ease and Gwinn was off to the races, no City players able to catch up as she took a shot from the edge of the penalty area and scored.

> GWINN GOAL 🤩 Giulia Gwinn Giulia Gwinn strikes first for Bayern 🙌 Stream every UEFA Women’s Champions League game on @paramountplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/lTFS1884D9 — W Golazo (@WGolazo) September 22, 2026

The hosts continued to find success on the right flank and had a second in the 28th minute, this time Pernille Harder creating the opportunity. The former Chelsea attacker made a run and then whipped a cross into the box, a handful of teammates available to her as Bayern pressed aggressively in the first half. She did not need a Bayern player to finish things off in the end – Kerstin Casparij flicked it into the back of her own net instead to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.

> Man City fans look away 🫣 Stream every UEFA Women’s Champions League game on @paramountplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/jjfrkw3dRn — W Golazo (@WGolazo) September 22, 2026

It was the first part of a well-executed game plan from Bayern, who almost stifled City completely despite the visitors' attack-minded tendencies. Despite leading the WSL for goals scored with 11 from 10.35 expected goals, second only to Chelsea by fine margins in the latter category, City were limited to just one shot in the opening 44 minutes of the game. Though they had plenty of the ball, Bayern's center backs Vanessa Gilles and Glodis Perla Viggosdottir kept Khadija "Bunny" Shaw and Lauren Hemp at bay.

Bayern's pressing strategy in the first half was designed to exploit City's defensive frailties, which have not been all that much of a storyline in their perfect start in the Women's Super League thus far. The Manchester club have successfully outdone their opponents in attack in domestic play by a wide margin but have yet to keep a clean sheet this season, conceding four goals in three WSL games and ranking midtable for expected goals against 3.33. The approach rattled the visitors – while Bayern looked composed, City lacked a cohesive idea and were easy to play through in midfield, where Yui Hasegawa was paired alongside U.S. international Sam Coffey in her first start of the season.

Even in duller form, though, City's offense was hard to beat for 90 minutes. The visitors bagged a goal just before the break through new signing Beth Mead, the play beginning with Casparij's run down the right flank and cross into the box. The ball bounced between a few players on both teams before it fell to Mead, who went on to score from close range. They ended the half essentially level on expected goals with Bayern with 1.12 despite being outshot three to eight.

> No better time for Beth Mead's FIRST Manchester City goal ☝️ Stream every UEFA Women’s Champions League game on @paramountplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/b8HXw9zBhs — W Golazo (@WGolazo) September 22, 2026

Bayern went with a more conservative approach in the second half with mixed results. The hosts were dominant again to start the half but the composure they brought in the first half was nowhere to be found in the 61st minute, when Bayern goalkeeper Ena Mahmutovic fouled Aoba Fujino in the box and conceded a penalty. Mahmutovic made up for it quickly by saving Shaw's spot kick, though it was hardly the end of City's attempts to find an equalizer.

> BUNNY DENIED ❌ Bayern Munich survive a scare as Manchester City fail to convert their penalty 😨 Stream every UEFA Women’s Champions League game on @paramountplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/dSMInPIG2O — W Golazo (@WGolazo) September 22, 2026

Shaw's missed penalty was City's only shot of the second half until the 78th minute, when their attack finally took things up a notch and came up with a flurry of shots. They were not exactly outdone by Bayern – in the final 12 minutes plus stoppage time, Bayern outshot City four to three and outdid them in expected goals by a margin of 0.7 to 0.4 – but their defensive resolve finally slipped. Their defenders were occupied with a handful of other City players in the 86th minute but Carlotta Wamser was all alone on the edge of the penalty area, Laura Blindkilde Brown taking note and sending the ball Wamser's way. The Germany international then wasted no time before scoring the late equalizer.

> What a time for Carlotta Wamser to get her first goal in City colours 💙💥 Stream every UEFA Women’s Champions League game on @paramountplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/8O1fsGtE9q — W Golazo (@WGolazo) September 22, 2026

It marks the second time in a week that City came from behind to take points, taking a 2-1 deficit to Liverpool over the weekend before winning the game 4-2 to extend their perfect streak in the WSL. Their ability to come from behind might be an early sign that City now have a title-winning aura, one that will come in handy as they mount a successful title defense after snapping Chelsea's six-year streak atop the WSL. Whether or not City are genuine contenders in England and Europe remains to be seen, though – balancing the demands of midweek competition is somewhat new to City, who are now beginning just their second Champions League campaign in the last six seasons.

The good news for City is that the league phase schedule in the Champions League looks more favorable than Tuesday's clash against last season's semifinalists, but their mixed outing is the first sign of weakness in an otherwise perfect season.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/man-city-bayern-munich-score-uwcl-md1-2026/)._