One just barely missed the 2026 UWCL Final. The other missed the tournament in its entirety. Tuesday, Bayern Münich Frauen and Manchester City meet head-to-head for the first time in club history as two domestic champions open their European campaigns in Unterhaching. The Sky Blues accomplished an impressive domestic double last year after taking both the WSL and FA Cup, their first double in history. Their season ended with a dominant 4-0 victory over Brighton at Wembley in the FA Cup final, having already secured the WSL title in May with one match remaining. For head coach Andrée Jeglertz, who accomplished the most successful feat in his first season, the next challenge is proving that City’s domestic dominance can translate back onto the European stage. City enter with a clean slate holding onto nine of nine points from their first three WSL matches, scoring 11 goals in victories over Birmingham City, Aston Villa, and Liverpool. Their latest result, a dramatic 4-2 win over Liverpool, offered the best preparation for what awaits them in Munich. City fell behind, endured extended periods in which Liverpool controlled the match, and still found a way to punish them late. That ability to survive difficult stretches is exactly what Jeglertz believes his team will need against a superpower like Bayern. And when City do have the ball, they possess more than enough attacking talent to make Bayern pay. At the center of that attack is Khadija Shaw. The Jamaican striker has won the WSL Golden Boot in each of the past three seasons and scored 21 league goals in ‘25-‘26. She has already continued that form into the new campaign, while Lauren Hemp remains one of City’s biggest creative threats from the left. Behind them, Yui Hasegawa gives Jeglertz a composed presence in central midfield and an important link between City’s buildup and attack. City will, however, be without Iman Beney who continues to recover from a head injury suffered in Friday’s win against Liverpool. On the opposite end, Bayern enter the competition with unfinished business. José Barcala’s side came within one tie of reaching the Champions League final for the first time last season. After holding eventual champions Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in Munich, Bayern fell 4-2 in the second leg at Camp Nou, exiting 5-3 on aggregate. For captain Giulia Gwinn, last season’s near miss has only increased the squad’s ambitions. Bayern have made a strong domestic start as well. Die Roten collected silverware after beating Wolfsburg 3-0 in the DFB Super Cup. If their opening stretch is any indication, Bayern have carried that hunger directly into the new season. The German champions enter on a five-match winning streak, with wins over Union Berlin, Mainz, Freiburg, Leverkusen and Köln. Bayern have scored 18 goals across these five matches while conceding just six, including five goals scored in their most recent outing against Köln. City may be arriving with one of England’s hottest attacks, but Bayern have been just as ruthless in front of goal. This matchup features two of the most dangerous strikers in the women’s game in Bayern’s Pernille Harder and City’s Shaw. Harder scored eight times in last season’s Champions League, finishing third in the competition’s standings, while Klara Bühl set a league-phase record with eight assists. Add Momoko Tanikawa and Bayern have several players capable of breaking open a match individually. Bayern will also have the advantage of opening their European campaign in their new home at Stadion am Sportpark in Unterhaching, beginning the competition in front of their own supporters. City are back in Europe after a year away, carrying the confidence of a historic domestic double and a perfect start to their WSL title defense. Bayern return after getting closer to the Champions League final than ever before. Their first-ever meeting should provide an early indication of where each stands in this season’s Champions League title race.