Manchester City salvages 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich in its return to the Women's Champions League

Manchester City rallied from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Bayern Munich in its return to the Women's Champions League at the start of the league phase on Tuesday.

Inter Milan, making its debut in the competition proper, edged Häcken 1-0 at home.

Bayern, a semifinalist last season, got off to a quick start with Giulia Gwinn scoring in the 11th minute and with an own-goal by Kerstin Casparij in the 28th.

City began its rally before halftime, with Beth Mead netting in the 45th. Carlotta Wamser, who just joined City from Bayer Leverkusen, completed the comeback with a shot from inside the area in the 86th.

Forward Khadija Shaw missed a 62nd-minute penalty kick for City, which became the first English team not to lose away to Bayern in Europe.

“We lost intensity a bit in the second half and made too many mistakes and too easy mistakes, and at this level it goes against you, so we have to learn from it,” Bayern midfielder Linda Dallmann said. “We had the chances, especially at the end, we had two big chances. At this level, you have to score. I think we deserved it at the end. But it’s our fault, we have to work on that.”

City made it to the quarterfinals two seasons ago, being eliminated by Chelsea, but didn't qualify for the European tournament last season.

It made it back after its first year under coach Andrée Jeglertz, who helped the team end Chelsea’s dominance of the Women’s Super League to claim its first league title in a decade. City also won the FA Cup to complete a domestic double.

Haley Bugeja scored five minutes into the match and Inter held on for its opening victory over Swedish club Häcken.

“It was special for us, and special to see how maturely we played. We scored early and then we took a step back, but I’m very happy about our second half,” Inter coach David Sassarini said, according to UEFA.com. "I am happy about the win. We showed we can play in this competition, and the ambition now is to improve on certain things and keep it up.”

The visitors saw goalkeeper Jennifer Falk sent off in the 89th.

Inter, making its debut after advancing through a penalty shootout win over Wolfsburg, twice hit the post with headers by Elisa Bartoli and Lina Magull.

“It was so special for me to captain Inter on such a historic night," Inter captain Irene Santi said. "It was incredible, and we played so well as a team.”

Häcken defender Aivi Luik was the oldest group stage/league phase player at 41, according to UEFA.

“I don’t think about my record," she said. "I still feel young. The secret is coffee and chocolate. It wasn’t the result we wanted, we could have equalized but we didn’t and now we look forward to the next matches.”

The league phase, in its second year, has 18 teams competing over six matchdays. The top four advance directly to the quarterfinals and the clubs finishing between fifth and 12th compete in knockout phase playoffs in February.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Bayern's Edna Imade reacts after failing to score during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Manchester City's Carlotta Wamser celebrates with Laura Blindkilde Brown, center right, after scoring her side's second goal during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Giulia Gwinn, right, collides with Manchester City's Beth Mead and Lauren Hemp, left, during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Pernille Harder kicks the ball next to Manchester City's Jade Rose during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

A policeman is engulfed in colored smoke from smoke bombs thrown onto the pitch during the women's Champions League opening phase soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Polo grew increasingly powerful Tuesday and could gain more intensity as it skirts Mexico's southwestern coast as a Category 5 cyclone, weather experts said.

Polo was an “extremely dangerous” storm with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (290 kph), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in an update from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft that was sent into the cyclone.

It was the third Category 5 hurricane of the Pacific season, following Genevieve and Lowell earlier this year. Category 5 is the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale, reflecting that a storm has maximum sustained winds exceeding 157 mph (253 kph).

Polo was centered 210 miles (338 kilometers) south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and nearly stationary over the Pacific Ocean at midday. The hurricane center update said Polo was expected to travel in a generally west-northwestward direction over the next several days.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico issued a weather alert, instructing citizens to avoid water and beaches and to heed warnings from Mexican authorities.

“Even if the storm does not make direct landfall, heavy rain may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides. Hazardous ocean conditions—intensified by storms—may result in deadly rip currents and rogue waves,” the Embassy wrote in a statement.

Mexican authorities temporarily suspended classes in a number of areas along the Pacific coast as Polo brushed along the coastline on Tuesday. Many residents were on edge this week watching the rapidly intensifying hurricane plow by. In recent years, the Pacific coastal states of Guerrero and Oaxaca have been ravaged by powerful hurricanes walloping the coast, with a number of communities still picking up the pieces.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in her morning press briefing that experts had indicated that the hurricane was not likely to touch land. Mexico’s Navy shut down ports in the states of Guerrero and Michoacán as a precaution and warned civilians and fishermen to take care.

In Acapulco, the region’s most important port city that was left reeling by a devastating hurricane in 2023, fishing boats normally bobbing in the ocean were pulled onshore on empty beaches as waves and dark clouds swirled nearby.

Heavy rain could produce flash flooding and mudslides. About 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain was forecast for Guerrero and Michoacán states, with smaller amounts possible for coastal portions of Oaxaca, Colima and Jalisco states. Strong winds and rough surf were also expected.

Tropical Storm Odalys was also in the Pacific Ocean but far from land. The cyclone was expected to become a hurricane sometime Tuesday, the hurricane center said. Odalys had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (105 kph).

In the Atlantic Ocean, Fay weakened to a tropical depression. Maximum sustained winds were down to 35 mph (56 kph) Tuesday and the system was far southwest of the Azores. Forecasters said it would be a remnant low later in the day.

No Atlantic hurricanes have formed yet this year, and this year has set a record for the longest a season has begun without a hurricane. The effects of this year’s El Nino crush storms before they get going.

This photo provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Polo strengthening in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Fay, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Odalys, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

This photo provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Polo intensifying in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (NOAA via AP)