Arsenal collapses to 3-2 loss at Bayern Munich in Women's Champions League

Arsenal’s defense of its Women’s Champions League title is not going to plan after a second-half collapse against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

Arsenal wasted an early two-goal lead as Bayern surged back to win 3-2 at Allianz Arena, handing the visitors their second loss in three games in Europe's elite club competition.

“It’s not good enough," Arsenal coach Renée Slegers said. "We don’t want to concede three goals in one half in the Champions League.”

Arsenal fell to 11th in the 18-team Champions League standings led by Barcelona at the mid-point of the new format. Barcelona and Manchester United both won Wednesday to join OL Lyonnes — who won at Arsenal last month — as the only teams with three straight wins.

Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 at home over OH Leuven. The title winner in three of the the past five seasons had 43 attempts on goal compared to zero for the Belgian debutant.

Man United won 2-1 against Paris Saint-Germain, which has zero points in 16th place. The top-four teams in December enter the quarterfinals and teams placed fifth to 12th join the knockout playoffs round.

Bayern has answered with back-to-back wins after an opening-day 7-1 loss at Barcelona.

“Unbelievable feeling, these three points are so important for us,” Bayern forward Pernille Harder said. “After the first half we were a little bit down and thinking, ‘What’s going on? Where are we at?’”

Bayern captain Glódís Viggósdóttir scored in the 86th minute from a cross that bounced into the goalmouth to complete the comeback.

Substitutes Alara in the 67th and Pernille Harder in the 80th, with a deft, looping left-footed shot, had tied a game that was in Arsenal’s control. All three goals were from assists by Germany attacker Klara Bühl.

“It feels good but it’s also a bit of a relief," Bayern midfielder Georgia Stanway said. "We were very unsatisfied with the first half and I think second half was just a completely different game, and a massive show of character.”

Stanway suggested Bayern players have had trouble adjusting to playing in the club's main stadium and tend to get “a little bit over-excited” in the first half.

United States defender Emily Fox rose in the fifth minute to head in Arsenal's opening goal from a high-bouncing ball and Mariona Caldentey struck an exquisite second in the 23rd.

Caldentey, the Ballon d’Or runner-up in September, was perfectly balanced to find space on the edge of the Bayern penalty area and curl a rising right-footed shot.

Still, Arsenal lost again in Munich, one year after Harder’s late hat trick keyed a 5-2 rout that proved just a footnote by the time the Gunners beat Barcelona in the final in May.

Barcelona swept aside Leuven though took until first-half stoppage time to score first from a penalty kick by Alexia Putellas.

An own goal by left back Kim Everaerts made it 2-0 before center back Irene Paredes' deflected header into the net after a corner.

“We have to be happy," Paredes said. "It’s true that maybe we deserved more (goals).”

Man United took the lead against PSG when a France forward, Melvine Malard, scored past a former England goalkeeper, Mary Earps, at Old Trafford.

PSG's defender Olga Carmona — whose goal past her now-teammate Earps won the 2023 World Cup final for Spain against England — fired a stunning equalizer from 25 meters (yards) in first-half stoppage time.

The decisive goal for United was Fridolina Rolfö's header in the 58th.

Juventus rose to seventh in the standings, above Bayern, by winning 2-1 at Atletico Madrid. Benfica and Twente drew 1-1 in Lisbon to both stay in the bottom six elimination places.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Manchester United's Fridolina Rolfo celebrates scoring their side's second goal as Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Mary Earps, left, reacts during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain in Manchester, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Manchester United's Melvine Malard, center left, celebrates with team-mates after scoring their side's first goal during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain in Manchester, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey, left, scores her side's second goal during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Arsenal's Emily Fox, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Pernille Harder, left, scores her side's second goal during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Glodis Viggosdottir, center, scores her side's third goal during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Glodis Viggosdottir, right, celebrates after scoring her side's third goal during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

ATLANTA (AP) — As the World Cup nears, Christian Pulisic's scoreless streak for the United States stretched to a career-high eight games.

“Of course it's frustrating, but I’m just going to stay positive,” he said after Tuesday night's 2-0 loss to Portugal in a friendly. “A lot of big things ahead, and I know I’m going to get to the other side and things are going to click.”

Pulisic hasn't scored an international goal since a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Jamaica on Nov. 18, 2024, and he's scoreless in 12 games with AC Milan since Dec. 28.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino moved the 27-year-old from a wing to striker for the first time since taking over in October 2024 in an effort to get him more chances closer to goal. Pulisic had 28 touches, up from 24 in the first half of Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Belgium.

Pulisic missed the ball on an open volley from a Tim Weah cross in the 22nd minute and was just wide from outside the penalty area in the 36th. Pulisic got a yellow card for dissent in first-half stoppage time for kicking Samú Costa after he was pushed off the ball.

“He was very active and I think he made a good job,” Pochettino said. “Unlucky or ashamed a little bit that he didn’t score with the opportunity that he (had). It’s normal."

With 32 goals in 84 international appearances over a decade, Pulisic is the top American player. He scored 10 goals in his first 15 appearances for AC Milan this season.

“Yes, he feels frustrated, but that is what we want, what we expect. He was fighting,” Pochettino said. “He’s going to score because he has the quality. I am sure that he’s going to come back to his club. ... He's going to start to score again.”

Preparing to co-host the World Cup in June, the U.S. has lost eight straight games to European opponents while getting outscored 22-6. It is winless against the continent in 10 matches since 2021.

“Both first halves, and we caused the teams a lot problems. We put a lot pressure on them. We did a lot great things," Pulisic said. “Just little moments or just being a little bit more clinical and it’s just the same story but I feel really close and I feel like we’re in a good place.”

Pochettino announces his World Cup roster on May 26, and the Americans play their last warmups against Senegal five days later and Germany on June 6. They open the World Cup on June 12 against Australia, face Paraguay a week later and close the first round against Turkey on June 25.

Pulisic thought back to the last two games before the 2022 World Cup, a 2-0 loss to Japan and a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia. At the tournament, the U.S. tied Wales and England, then beat Iran 1-0 on a goal from Pulisic to advance before a round of 16 loss to the Netherlands.

“I remember people were doubting us after that camp,” he said of the September 2022 friendlies. “Maybe we didn’t have a great camp, and at the end of the day, we go in, we have a great World Cup. It’s all behind us. So like I said, better now, and we’re going to figure it out. We’re going to figure it out when it really counts.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Unites States' Christian Pulisic listens during a news conference before the men's national soccer team training, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ronald Blum

USA's Christian Pulisic (10) and Portugal's Francisco Trincao work during the first half of an international friendly soccer match, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

USA's Christian Pulisic (10) moves against Portugal's Joao Cancelo during the first half of an international friendly soccer match, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)