Marc Skinner says Man Utd have ‘fantastic opportunity’ to make UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final despite Bayern Munich defeat

Marc Skinner spoke positively about Manchester United's chances of making the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final despite his side's 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-final first leg at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, three-time champions Barcelona dismantled rivals Real Madrid 6-2, putting the Catalan giants on course for the semi-finals for an eighth successive season.

Marc Skinner insisted his Manchester United side still have a ”fantastic opportunity” to progress to the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final despite a first-leg 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich.

A five-goal thriller saw United peg Bayern back twice, only for 20-year-old Japan star Momoko Tanikawa to net a late winner for the Bavarians. 

Skinner’s outfit must now dust themselves down for Saturday’s Manchester derby in the Women's Super League before facing Bayern in the second leg at Allianz Arena on April 1. 

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"The two goals from Harder tonight are not good enough from our perspective, which we will fix as a team,” Skinner told Disney+. ”The encouraging thing is that this tie is still alive. 

”Bayern haven't played like that. It's super direct from them. They are normally possession based and they have changed style tonight and they have got their reward for it.

"I'm frustrated with the goals that we conceded because they are pretty poor, but it is something really easily fixed going into the next leg where we know the threats that they have got now."

Japan star Momoko Tanikawa netted a late goal for the Bavarians.

Image credit: Getty Images

On whether there were positives to take from United’s performance, Skinner added: "There are loads. The quality in possession was really good until the final decision. 

”We should have built around them quicker. We should have used the sides quicker, that is where we had our joy. We weren't clean enough in that and we kept keeping the play more central.

"What I liked was that we broke the lines, we just needed to be a bit more incisive with the pass. I said to the girls at half-time that they are here for a reason, so make sure we get our rewards in those moments with the finishes.

”I felt we could have created more goalscoring threat. Now we know what we are playing against, and we go into the next leg with a fantastic opportunity to move forward."

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Barcelona hit Real for six

In the evening’s other Champions League fixture, Barcelona dismantled Spanish rivals Real Madrid 6-2 as Ewa Pajor, Esmee Brugts, Irene Paredes, Vicky Lopez and Alexia Putellas all got on the scoresheet for the three-time European champions. 

Barcelona, who are looking to make the semi-finals for an eighth successive season, meet Real again in the league on Sunday, before the Champions League return leg at Camp Nou on Thursday, 2 April.

"It was a really complete performance, worthy of the Champions League," Barcelona midfielder Patricia Guijarro said. "It was a historic result but we're most pleased with the way we played.

"It's the first leg. We'll go at 200% in the second leg too. I think we deserved it ... With this result it might seem like we'll relax on Sunday and in the next game, with a four-goal lead. But quite the opposite. You know us."

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