March 25 : Bayern Munich’s Momoko Tanikawa came off the bench to create one goal and score the winner as her side beat Manchester United 3-2 in a thrilling first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The visitors took an early lead when Danish striker Pernille Harder stole in behind the United defence in the second minute to score with a cool finish, but the home side equalised from the spot in the 24th minute through Maya Le Tissier to go in level at the break.
Fresh from winning the Women’s Asian Cup final with Japan on Saturday, Tanikawa joined the fray from the bench in the 59th minute and 12 minutes later she set up Harder for her second of the night and her seventh in the competition this season.
Displaying grit and determination, United levelled again when Hanna Lundkvist headed home a Le Tissier corner, but Tanikawa had the last word with a superbly taken goal after some lovely interplay with Franziska Kett to give her side a one-goal advantage ahead of next week’s return.
In the evening’s early quarter-final, Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor bagged two goals as her side hammered Spanish rivals Real Madrid 6-2 away to take a commanding lead into next week’s second leg at the Camp Nou.
