Man City and Bayern stay perfect in Women's Champions League. Barcelona and Arsenal win big

Man City and Bayern stay perfect in Women’s Champions League. Barcelona and Arsenal win big

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Manchester City’s Aoba Fujino, right, scores her side’s second goal during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Manchester City FC and Hammarby IF in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

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Bayern’s Pernille Harder, right, scores the opening goall during the women’s Champions League group C soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Valerenga at the FC Bayern Campus in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

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Manchester City’s Laura Blindkilde, center, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Manchester City FC and Hammarby IF in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

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Manchester City’s Aoba Fujino, left, celebrates after scoring her side’s second goal during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Manchester City FC and Hammarby IF in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

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Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius celebrates scoring her side’s second goal during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Juventus and Arsenal at the Vittorio Pozzo La Marmora Stadium in Biella, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

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Manchester City’s Mary Fowler, right, and Hammaby IF’s Stina Lennartsson, left, challenge for the ball during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Manchester City FC and Hammarby IF in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

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Bayern’s Sarah Zadrazil, second left, is congratulated by teammate Glodis Viggosdottir after scoring her side’s third goal during the women’s Champions League group C soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Valerenga at the FC Bayern Campus in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

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Arsenal’s Frida Leonhardsen Maanum, right, and Juventus’ Eva Schatzer vie for the ball during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Juventus and Arsenal at the Vittorio Pozzo La Marmora Stadium in Biella, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

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Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius scores her side’s second goal during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Juventus and Arsenal at the Vittorio Pozzo La Marmora Stadium in Biella, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

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Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers sits on the bench ahead of the women’s Champions League soccer match between Juventus and Arsenal at the Vittorio Pozzo La Marmora Stadium in Biella, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

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Arsenal’s Frida Leonhardsen Maanum celebrates after scoring during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Juventus and Arsenal at the Vittorio Pozzo La Marmora Stadium in Biella, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

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Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius, left, celebrates scoring her side’s second goal during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Juventus and Arsenal at the Vittorio Pozzo La Marmora Stadium in Biella, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

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Bayern’s Pernille Harder scores the opening goal past Valerenga goalkeeper Tove Enblom during the women’s Champions League group C soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Valerenga at the FC Bayern Campus in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

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Bayern’s Julia Zigotti Olme jumps for the ball with Valerenga’s Linn Vickius, background, during the women’s Champions League group C soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Valerenga at the FC Bayern Campus in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

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Bayern’s Sarah Zadrazil, background right, smiles after scoring her side’s third goal during the women’s Champions League group C soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Valerenga at the FC Bayern Campus in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

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Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw, center, is fouled by Hammaby IF’s Emilie Joramo, left. and Eva Nystrom, right, during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Manchester City FC and Hammarby IF in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

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Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw, center, and Hammaby IF’s Eva Nystrom, left, challenge for the ball during the women’s Champions League soccer match between Manchester City FC and Hammarby IF in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

By KAREL JANICEK

Manchester City and Bayern Munich stayed perfect in the Women’s Champions League halfway through the group stage on Tuesday, while two-time defending champion Barcelona and Arsenal recorded big wins.

City leads Group D with nine points after the English league leader beat Hammarby 2-0 at home. Barcelona is second, trailing by three points, followed by Hammarby on three and St. Pölten without a point.

Barcelona earlier thrashed St. Pölten 7-0. Claudia Pina led the demolition with two goals. It followed another massive win for Barcelona, 9-0 over Hammarby in the previous round.

Arsenal is recovering from a poor start to the season, scoring four goals in the second straight game in the competition as it won 4-0 at Juventus.

The Gunners are second in Group C with six points, three behind leader Bayern, which eased past pointless newcomer Vålerenga 3-0. Juventus has three points.

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Goal feast

It took Barcelona 32 minutes to break the deadlock

Ona Batlle crossed from the left for Ewa Pajor to net the opener from close range. Then another four goals came within seven minutes as Barcelona was rewarded for its dominance.

Francisca Nazareth scored in the 38th minute, slotting home a loose ball. Aitana Bonmatí made it 3-0 on a rebound after Carina Schlüter parried a fierce drive by Vicky Lopez.

Keira Walsh’s clinical finish from outside the area and Pina’s volley for her first made it 5-0 at halftime.

Pina added her second from the spot after the interval before Caroline Graham Hansen finished it off.

Arsenal back on track

Led by interim head coach Renée Slegers, Arsenal continues to recover from its 5-2 loss to Bayern in the opening round and earlier poor form in its domestic league.

Boosted by a 5-0 victory over Brighton in the Women’s Super League on Friday, the Gunners showed the same ruthlessness in Europe.

Frida Maanum put Arsenal ahead late in the first half against Juve, a team which dominates the Italian league. Late goals from two substitutes, Stina Blackstenius and Mariona Caldentey, put the result beyond doubt before Caitlin Foord finished off the emphatic win.

Harder on target again for Bayern

Pernille Harder found the back of the net again for Bayern. The Denmark veteran headed in the opener early in the game for her fifth goal of the campaign to remain the competition’s top scorer this season.

Many more goals looked inevitable but only two came despite numerous chances.

Giulia Gwinn doubled the advantage from the spot in the 17th minute, sending goalkeeper Tove Enblom the wrong way.

Sarah Zadrazil added the third with a looping shot in second-half stoppage time.

Second-half goals for City

Without injured star signing Vivianne Miedema, City was held at bay by the visitors in the first half.

The 28-year-old Netherlands forward had another operation on her troublesome left knee last month, and it’s not clear when she might be able to return.

The first goal came soon after the interval from midfielder Laura Blindkilde Brown, who joined City from Aston Villa in January.

Forward Aoba Fujino made it 2-0 with a header 10 minutes from time.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer