Manchester United Women's slogan 'Defy the odds' has become a point of fascination for what it does not say. According to those inside and close to the women's team, the slogan has demanded a form of suspended disbelief, a conscious effort to not say the quiet part out loud: that the odds the players are being instructed to defy are, in some part, perpetuated by the club they represent. A recurring refrain over the years — but specifically this season from sources in and close to the women's setup — is that the 'players deserve better'. For many seasons, United's players have achieved more than might realistically have been expected of them and this mindset has often been the source of the tight-knit spirit forged within the squad. On Wednesday, that spirit very nearly lifted United improbably into the Champions League semi-finals when Melvine Malard's early strike in Munich brought the aggregate score to 3-3 with 79 minutes remaining in the second leg against eight-time quarter-finalists Bayern Munich. But in the second half, familiar cracks appeared. United emerged with a slightly deeper midfield and a team affected by fatigue and injury (United fielded just four outfield players on the bench, one of whom was 18-year-old Jess Anderson, who made her Women's Super League debut at the weekend). Bayern emerged with an attacking energy that United failed to match or counter. After registering six shots, four on target, in the first half, United managed just one in the second, an expected goals (xG) total of 0 and 24 per cent possession. Bayern registered nine shots and an xG of 1.45. Despite United's valiant defence, Bayern broke through with two goals from successive corners in the final 10 minutes to seal a 5-3 aggregate victory. Ultimately, there was only so long before corner after corner (Bayern scored from their 12th and 13th of the match) would expose a season-long weakness at set pieces. And there is only so long you can not only hold the line but defy it, too.