Bayern suffers hair-pull red card in draw with Barça in Women's Champions League semifinal

MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich goalscorer Franziska Kett was sent off for pulling hair in a 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League semifinal on Saturday.

Kett canceled Ewa Pajor’s early strike but was shown a red card in the 79th minute after she pulled Salma Paralluelo by the hair when the Barcelona substitute was getting away from her.

Bayern coach José Barcala was also shown red by referee Ivana Martinčić for his protests, which were futile because a VAR check confirmed Kett’s foul.

Both will be suspended for the second leg in Barcelona on May 3.

Klara Bühl, who returned together with Giulia Gwinn from injury for Bayern's Bundesliga-clinching win on Wednesday, said Kett's absence will be a blow.

“She has speed, she has power, good left and right foot,” Bühl said. “It’s really hard for us that she cannot be there but we have a great squad. We have some players that can play there and they will be also amazing.”

Kett preserved Bayern’s hopes of making the final for the first time when she equalized after a well-worked team move in the 69th.

The match pitted newly crowned champions against each other after both teams clinched their domestic championships.

But Barcelona won 7-1 on their previous meeting in the league phase and Bayern’s supporters must have feared the worst when Pajor scored with the visitor's first shot on target in the eighth minute.

Esmee Brugts easily cut inside Gwinn to deliver the cross for Pajor to score with a volley.

“I'm happy because I can help the team with this and that is the most important thing. Of course, Esmee played a very good ball,” said Pajor after her eighth goal in as many appearances in the Champions League this season.

Despite conceding, Bayern improved as the half progressed. Kett drew a good save from Cata Coll before the break.

Brugts struck the post after the interval as Barcelona regained its earlier dominance, only to be caught out when Kett leveled.

Bayern held on after Kett’s sending off to leave the tie finely poised.

“We worked hard. We know it’s difficult to play against a team like Barcelona that’s good at finding spaces,” Bayern forward Pernille Harder said. “We worked really hard, found our moments to go in transitions and we also got a goal. Then the red card and then we just had to fight the last minutes.”

Trophy-holder Arsenal faces eight-time champion Lyon in the other semifinal on Sunday.

The final will be in Oslo on May 23. Barcelona is bidding to reach it for the sixth straight year.

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

Barcelona's Ewa Pajor, second from right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Women's Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Barcelona in Munich, Germany, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Franziska Kett, center, celebrates after scoring her side's first goal during the Women's Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Barcelona in Munich, Germany, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Barcelona's Salma Paralluelo, left, is fouled by Bayern's Franziska Kett during the Women's Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Barcelona in Munich, Germany, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Barcelona's Salma Paralluelo, left, is fouled by Bayern's Franziska Kett during the Women's Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Barcelona in Munich, Germany, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Franziska Kett, right, gets a red card by referee Ivana Martincic during the Women's Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Barcelona in Munich, Germany, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

The San Antonio Spurs' kids look ready, even if Victor Wembanyama may not be.

With the Spurs star unavailable, second-year guard Stephon Castle delivered 33 points and rookie Dylan Harper pitched in a career-high 27 points along with 10 rebounds in a 120-108 victory in Portland on Friday to take a 2-1 series lead.

Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 Defensive Player of the Year averaging 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-best 3.1 blocks, sustained a concussion in the first half of Game 2 and did not return. The Blazers went on to win in San Antonio 106-103.

Wembanyama traveled with the Spurs to Portland and hoped to play, but coach Mitch Johnson announced before the game that Wembanyama was progressing though not yet available to play.

It turned out that the Spurs didn't need him. The Blazers led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter before Castle and Harper took over and Portland collapsed.

Wembanyama's status for Sunday's game is unknown.

Harper scored 22 points in the second half. At 20, the No. 2 pick in last June's NBA draft became the second-youngest player to score 20 or more points off the bench in a playoff game. The youngest was 18-year-old Kobe Bryant.

“When I came in the game, my biggest focus was just not trying to get it all at once and just try to be that energy guy that came in and played hard,” Harper said. “Once I started doing that, I think the game kind of just opened up.”

When/Where to watch: Game 4, 3:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Series: Spurs lead, 2-1

Betting line: Spurs by 5.5

What to Know: Luke Kornet filled in for Wembanyama with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Coach Mitch Johnson would only say that Wembanyama was progressing but would not reveal his status for Sunday’s game.

When/Where to watch: Game 4, 7 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)

Series: Celtics lead, 2-1

Betting line: Celtics by 7.5

What to Know: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 25 points to help the Celtics beat the 76ers in Game 3 and take back the home-court edge. Tyrese Maxey, voted an All-Star starter for the first time in his career, has gamely tried to carry the Sixers with Joel Embiid still out as he recovers from an appendectomy. Embiid, listed as doubtful, did individual work on court Saturday. Coach Nick Nurse said he hoped to know more about Embiid’s potential availability after the Game 4 shootaround. VJ Edgecombe did have his second double-double of the series but missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. The Celtics won both games with a significant 3-point edge. Boston hit 16 in Game 1 and the Celtics made 20 of 47 in Game 3.

When/Where to watch: Game 4, 9:30 p.m. EDT (NBC Peacock)

Series: Lakers lead 3-0

Betting line: Rockets by 8.5

What to Know: Houston's Kevin Durant sat out of Houston's 112-108 overtime loss to the Lakers on Friday that put the Rockets in a 3-0 hole going into Game 4. He also missed the opening game with a knee injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday's elimination game. Ageless superstar LeBron James scored 29 points, including a tying 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in regulation for the Lakers, who rallied from a six-point deficit with under 30 seconds left for the win. The Lakers are missing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, leaving 41 year-old James to help pick up the slack. As a result, he played more than 45 minutes on Friday night.

When/Where to Watch: Game 4, 1 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Series: Cavaliers lead 2-1

Betting line: Cavaliers by 3.5

What to Know: After losing the first two games, the Raptors returned home to Canada and got big performances from Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett for a 126-104 victory to narrow the series. Barnes and Barrett each had 33 points, career playoff highs for both. The Raptors outscored the crumbling Cavs 43-23 in the fourth quarter. The win snapped Cleveland's 12-game playoff winning streak over the Raptors. However, Toronto got bad news on Friday when starting guard Immanuel Quickley was ruled out for rest of the first round because of a setback in his rehab of a hamstring injury.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Toronto Raptors' Collin Murray-Boyles (12) celebrates a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of an NBA playoff basketball game in Toronto on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Philadelphia 76ers' VJ Edgecombe (77) goes up for a shot against Boston Celtics' Payton Pritchard (11) during the second half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Friday, April 24, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) reacts to a play during the second half in Game 3 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Los Angeles Lakers forwards Jarred Vanderbilt (2) and LeBron James (23) celebrate after their overtime win against the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Friday April 24, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, center, wears street cloths on the bench as he sits out Game 3 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)