Manchester United Women exited the Champions League, despite a spirited performance against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
Trailing 3-2 from the first leg at Old Trafford a week ago, the Reds quickly levelled the tie when Melvine Malard scored in the 11th minute.
Malard had further chances to score in an opening period where United took the game to our vaunted opponents, who are unbeaten on German soil all term.
Bayern came out stronger after the break, but the Reds’ rearguard held firm and the contest appeared to be heading the distance, until captain Glodos Viggosdottir headed home to put the hosts 4-3 up on aggregate, with nine minutes to play.
Linda Dallmann’s well-taken strike then confirmed a place in the last four for Jose Barcala’s side, and ended a memorable European campaign for the Reds that started in Scandinavia, back in August.
FIRST HALF – MALARD SQUARES THE TIE
Skinner made two changes to the side beaten in Saturday’s Manchester derby, with Swedish pair Fridolina Rolfo and Julia Zigiotti given the nod to start in front of 25,000 supporters in Bavaria.
There was a fluid, flexible look to the Reds’ attack in the early stages, as Rolfo regularly switched with nominal forward Malard, who had the first opening when she drew a good save from Ena Mahmutovic.
It was a strong and confident start from United, as we looked for – and soon found – the goal to bring us level in the tie.
Riviere’s incisive pass from the nearside touchline teased Mahmutovic from her line, and when her attempted clearance rebounded off Vanessa Gilles, Malard was on hand to slide into the empty net.
The home side were finding our no.9 impossible to deal with, and she soon cut inside to force Mahmutovic into another save, low to her left.
Bayern soon started to stamp their considerable authority on the contest, but the more threatening openings were still arriving at the other end, and Jess Park had Mahmutovic scrambling with a cross-cum-shot that had to be tipped on to the crossbar.
Referee Tess Olofsson invited the opprobrium of the Allianz Arena crowd when she denied Carolin Simon a penalty, after a coming-together with Maya Le Tissier, before Gilles headed just wide.
Gilles then got to another corner first, and her flick-on appeared to be falling to the clinical Pernille Harder at the back post, before Malard diverted it away from danger, allowing United to retain the lead going into the interval.
SECOND HALF – LATE HEARTBREAK FOR REDS
Bayern have been almost perfect this season – their record reading W29 D2 L1 prior to this game – and the hosts were dominant at the beginning of the second period.
Harder had been quiet after her brace in Manchester, but she turned Le Tissier and forced Phallon Tullis-Joyce into her first significant involvement of the evening, as our American stretched out a leg to block.
The Reds were now under the cosh. Georgia Stanway fired wide, Le Tissier stopped Harder getting a clean connection on a cross, and Tullis-Joyce had to juggle the ball clear of danger under significant pressure, as Bayern ramped up their aerial threat at set-pieces.
Skinner injected fresh legs into midfield, with Lisa Naalsund thrown on, but the Bavarian tide continued to sweep forward, as extra-time beckoned.
Giulia Gwinn cut inside following good work by Dallmann and looked to pass the ball into the corner, only for Millie Turner to somehow get her body in the way and allow Tullis-Joyce to claim.
Our long-serving defender was there again, stopping Momoko Tanikawa converting a cross, but it was from the resulting corner that Bayern finally found a way through.
Viggosdottir climbed highest to meet Gwinn’s centre and Tullis-Joyce could only parry her powerful effort into the roof of the net.
Dallmann then capped off a sparkling individual performance, finding the top corner to give the hosts the lead on the night, and an unassailable advantage in the tie.
The Germans will progress to face Barcelona or Real Madrid in the semi-finals, but there is plenty to be proud of for the Reds, at the end of a long road that has seen us play 14 games in the continental competition.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Turner (George 86), Le Tissier (c), Lundkvist (Schuller 86); Miyazawa, Zigiotti; Park, Awujo (Naalsund 63), Rolfo; Malard.
Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Anderson.
Booked: Le Tissier.
Goal: Malard 11.
Bayern: Mahmutovic; Gwinn (Ballisager 89), Viggosdottir (c), Gilles, Simon (Caruso 85); Kakounan, Stanway; Dallmann, Tanikawa, Kett; Harder.
Subs not used: Grohs, Kreuzpaintner, Eriksson, Padilla, Dunst, Imade, Zahringer.
Goals: Viggosdottir 81, Dallmann 84.