Manchester United vs Bayern München Women's Champions League preview: Where to watch, possible starting line-ups

Manchester United and Bayern München meet in their UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday 25 March at Old Trafford.

What you need to know

Man United's only previous European experience before this season was a defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in 2023/24 qualifying, but their performances so far this term have established them as real contenders. As well as beating PSG in the league phase, they have kept eight clean sheets in their 12-match run, including qualifying, and defeated Atlético de Madrid 3-0 away and 2-0 at home in the knockout phase play-offs.

Lea Schüller joined Man Utd in January after scoring more than 100 goals in five and a half years with Bayern. United's Julia Zigiotti Olme and Fridolina Rolfö are also former Bayern players.

As for Bayern, they recovered from a 7-1 loss at Barcelona on Matchday 1 by posting four wins and a draw to finish fourth and avoid the play-offs, taking them into an eighth quarter-final in ten seasons. Klara Bühl starred with a league phase/group stage-record eight assists. They are also flying domestically, not least with a recent 4-1 defeat of Wolfsburg.

Possible line-ups

Man United: Tullis-Joyce; Awujo, Le Tissier, Turner, Lundkvist; Miyazawa, Zigiotti Olme; Park, Naalsund, Rolfö; Schüller
Out: Sandberg (knee), Toone (hip), Galton (back), Janssen (hamstring)
Doutbful: None

Bayern: Mahmutovic; Gwinn, Viggósdóttir, Gilles, Simon; Caruso, Stanway; Dallmann, Imade, Kett; Harder
Out: Bühl (calf), Alara (knee), Naschenweng (knee), Damnjanović (leg), Klink (muscle)
Doubtful: Tanikawa (fatigue)

Form guide

Man United
Last six games: WDLLWW
Last match: Man United 2-1 Everton, 21/03, Women's Super League
Where they stand: 2nd in Women's Super League

Bayern
Last six games: WWWWWW
Last match: Essen 0-5 Bayern, 20/03, Frauen-Bundesliga
Where they stand: 1st in Frauen-Bundesliga, German Cup semi-finals

Views from the camps

Marc Skinner, Man Utd coach: "[Bayern are] an incredible football team, but we don't look at that. They haven't played Manchester United yet. They'll be aware of us; they're a respectful team. We expect a fantastic tie, a fantastic occasion."

Julia Zigiotti Olme, Man Utd midfielder: "We have to be at our best. We have to be compact in defence but we also have to play our game. We are good players and a good team, so if we just play our game, we can hurt them. We have to believe in that and believe in ourselves. It's a football game, it's 90 minutes, and we just have to go out there and do what we're good at."

José Barcala, Bayern coach, on appearing at Old Trafford: "It's very special. This is great for women's football and the fans. It is an extra motivation to play our best football. We will encounter situations that are unfamiliar to us, but we shouldn't let that unsettle us. We want to show that we are ready to play such matches."

Pernille Harder, Bayern forward: "I was a big United fan as a child. My Dad was always a United supporter, so I grew up with the club. It's really special to now get to be out on that pitch myself on Wednesday night. It won't be an easy game. United play with great intensity. Their development in recent years has been very good. We're expecting a team that's physical, runs hard and plays with great dynamism. It'll be tough, but I'm really looking forward to it."

Where is the 2026 UEFA Women's Champions League final being played?

UEFA via Getty Images

Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway, will host the 2026 UEFA Women's Champions League final on Saturday 23 May.

The final will be the first UEFA women's club decider to be played in Norway, although Ullevaal – opened in 1926 and renovated on several occasions since – staged the UEFA Women's EURO final in both 1987 and 1997. It is the regular home of the Norway women's and men's national teams. The 2016 men's UEFA Super Cup was also held in Norway, in Trondheim.