Franziska Kett went from hero to villain in a matter of minutes as Bayern Munich women fought back to secure a 1-1 draw against Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinal.
The German left-back cancelled out Ewa Pajor’s early opener with a goal in the 69th minute at the Allianz Arena, only to be shown a red card just 11 minutes later for pulling the hair of Barcelona’s Salma Paralluelo.
Barcelona struck first when Pajor met Esmee Brugts’ cross with a deft touch to guide the ball past Bayern keeper Ena Mahmutovic in the eighth minute. The Catalan side nearly doubled their lead before halftime, but Mahmutovic made a fine save to deny Kett’s curling attempt three minutes before the break.
Brugts was denied a second for Barcelona when her effort hit the post, while Patri Guijarro had a header cleared off the goal-line. Claudia Pina’s follow-up was also saved, keeping Bayern within striking distance.
The hosts leveled the score in the 69th minute when Kett beat Cata Coll with a low drive to the near post. Her celebration was short-lived, however, as she was sent off in the 79th minute for pulling Paralluelo’s hair during a challenge.
With Bayern reduced to 10 women, Mahmutovic had to be at her best to repel a piledriver from Mapi Leon in the dying moments as Barcelona pushed for a winner. The match ended 1-1, setting up a tense second leg in Spain.
Kett, a 21-year-old left-back from Deggendorf, Germany, has made 46 appearances for Bayern Munich’s senior team since 2022, scoring four goals. She signed her first professional contract with the club in March 2022 after progressing through their youth system.
The draw means Bayern will travel to Barcelona for the return leg with the tie finely balanced. The winner will advance to face either Arsenal or Lyon in the final, who meet in their own semifinal first leg on Sunday.
Franziska Kett has represented Germany at various youth levels and made her senior international debut in 2025, earning 13 caps to date. She was part of the German squad that finished as runners-up at the 2023 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship in Belgium.
The Women’s Champions League semifinal first leg between Arsenal and Lyon will be broadcast live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Sunday at 3pm local time.
For continued coverage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals and all major soccer developments, stay tuned to Archysport.
