Manchester United Women’s crucial seven days: How they can shape their future on the biggest stage
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Marc Skinner’s side start with their first Champions League quarter-final match today against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford — instead of the team’s usual home at Leigh Sports Village — before hosting the Manchester Derby at the same venue on the weekend in the WSL. The club have made arrangements, like free fan zones, to imbue these two fixtures at Old Trafford with a big fight feel. They round out the seven-day swing with the quarter-final return leg next Wednesday at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Wednesday’s match will also be the first senior Champions League quarter-final played at Old Trafford since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led the men’s team out against Barcelona on April 10, 2019. Back then, United Women were the runaway leaders of the FA’s newly-branded Women’s Championship in their first year as an official professional team. They were coming off a 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur with goals from Katie Zelem, Mollie Green, Jess Sigsworth and Leah Galton.
United have come a long way since, but now stand at a difficult footballing crossroads, wondering how best to make the leap from good to great. They could advance to the semi-finals of this year’s Champions League and qualify for next or see months of hard work fall flat and watch their cross-town rivals push for the WSL title.
On Sunday, a late goal from Melvine Malard delivered a 2-1 win over Everton, sending the team second in the WSL table. United’s place in the top three places needed for Champions League football next season is not secure. They are one point ahead of Sonia Bompastor’s Chelsea, and their three-point lead over Arsenal in fourth could be erased by the Londoners’ two games in hand.
In their four full seasons under Skinner, United have finished fourth, second, fifth and third in the league. Earlier this month, they made it to the League Cup final, falling 2-0 to Chelsea.
“Although … disappointing, it does not take away from the enormous progress this team continues to make,” said club CEO Omar Berrada following the League Cup final on March 15.
“Reaching another major final shows the strides we are taking, and we are immensely proud of the players, staff for their incredible efforts, and supporters who have been with us every step of the way. This group is building something special, and Sunday only strengthens our belief in what we can achieve together.”
It was a defeat that again raised questions about how United can best compete with the biggest sides in England and, eventually, on the continent.
A reasonable team performance came undone thanks to two Chelsea goals that were described as “rubbish” by Skinner, who has now lost three cup finals to the same side while in charge of United.
Fan sentiment is split on the head coach. Some regulars at Leigh Sports Village believe Skinner and his coaching staff do well to keep the team punching above their weight. Others believed his defensively pragmatic approach to games has now run its course, and the squad would be better off with a fresh face in charge.
But the head coach retains the faith of senior executives at the club, and in April, he signed a contract extension until June 2027. The club have made steady, rather than spectacular progress under the 43-year-old, but United’s record against Chelsea (16 defeats in 19 matches) suggests the team may need a new X-factor if they wish to add more silverware to their 2024 FA Cup.
While Chelsea will likely cede the WSL title after six years, it will most likely be Manchester City that win the honour.
In 2026, United are outsiders who can occasionally be contenders. In 2028, they want to be champions. Shortly after taking over the team in 2024, INEOS outlined a long-term development plan to deliver the side’s first Super League title by 2028. Delivering on that plan looks difficult, even taking into account a 2025-26 season that should be regarded as a positive one.
Today, United will have to outplay the German champions if they want to continue their Champions League odyssey. Bayern finished fourth in the Champions League’s League Phase (United finished sixth), and boast an 11-point lead at the summit of the Frauen-Bundesliga in Germany. However, underdog football may suit United’s current set-up. Their trio of former Bayern players in Julia Zigiotti Olme, Fridolina Rolfo, and January signing Lea Schuller will have plenty to offer Skinner’s side. Schuller scored more than 100 goals across her five and half years at Bayern. Wednesday night would be a fine occasion to open her goalscoring account for United.
They will have to overcome the immediate threats of Bayern’s Klara Buhl, Pernille Harder and Georgia Stanway. Bayern’s head coach Jose Barcala was only installed ahead of the 2025-26 season, but he, along with his coaching staff have created a team that are happy to win via a 5-3 scoreline just as much as a 2-0. They are physically dominant, technically astute, and look to pin opponents deep in their own third. If United can find a way to play out of Bayern’s pressure, they might find counter-attacking space to exploit. If they’re too casual when playing out from the back – as they were in a 5-2 defeat to Wolfsburg in the League Phase – they may find themselves dealing with a near-continual attacking swarm.
“We know how difficult Bayern are going to be, but why not? There’s an air of optimism of the unknown,” said Skinner last month when asked about the tie. Victory over two legs would set up a semi-final against either FC Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Skinner is in charge of a team that understands they will need to push themselves to the very limit if they want to beat a bigger, more experienced foe.
“Sometimes, the newbies have that… ‘Let’s just go and see what happens’,” Skinner said. “We’re arriving, and we believe, and that’s a powerful thing in sport. Bayern are a fantastic team, but do you (as an opponent) really want to get Manchester United right now? I don’t think you do.”
These are the fixtures that United ideally want to play, season-on-season, but if they want to continue doing so, they’ll have to overcome more than just their opponents.
The road United have taken from 2018 to Champions League qualification and success in 2026 has been bumpy. They’ve adjusted well to previously uncommon obstacles, including missing kit before games and a spate of injuries that have thinned an already small squad. Their strong dressing room dynamic and tight camaraderie make them a formidable team on their best days, and they have not let comments from part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe — where he previously described the men’s team as “the main issue” — undermine their process.
The latest iteration of Deloitte’s Football Money League report detailed United lagging behind Bayern for matchday revenue in 2024-25 (£2.3m v £1.2m), but boasting greater earnings through their broadcast and commercial dealings.
Revenue growth in women’s football is primarily driven by commercial deals, and United, as one of the biggest football clubs in the world, have the potential to reach revenue streams that few others could match.
(A portion of Arsenal’s commercial income derives from a wider club subsidy.)
Will the relevant decision makers look to act on that potential?
Previous comments from Ratcliffe suggest INEOS is focused on the men’s senior team and allow the women’s team to be largely self-governing. United Women do not boast the same resources as Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester City, but a collection of dedicated, hard-working staff help bridge the competitive gap.
Matt Johnson, club director of women’s football, helms a nimble, hardworking recruitment team that has identified quality players to supplement a core group of Skinner’s most trusted lieutenants. The club have shopped heavily in the Scandinavian market in recent transfer windows and thus far, they have avoided the difficult transitional period many predicted would occur following the departures of several players in the summer of 2023.
United are good, but they want to be great. This week is the sort of challenge the club wants to make routine in future. It is up to them to use it to push the team forward on and off the pitch.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Manchester United, Women's Soccer
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