Manchester Metropolis Girls folks stun reigning Champions League holders Barcelona Girls folks with a 2-0 victory in their opening Neighborhood D clash at the Academy Stadium.
Manchester Metropolis Girls folks laid down a extreme early marker in the Girls folks’s Champions League by upsetting holders Barcelona Girls folks 2-0 in their opening Neighborhood D contest at the Academy Stadium.
Taking a merited first-half lead through 20-year-archaic summer season signing Naomi Layzell, Gareth Taylor‘s aspect were below the cosh for the majority of the 2d interval, nevertheless they defended with sheer resilience and increased their cushion through Bunny Shaw.
Hoping to steer distinct of sharing the same fate as Girls folks’s Gargantuan League opponents Arsenal – who had been dismantled 5-2 earlier in the evening by Bayern Munich – Man Metropolis asked several questions of an strangely disjointed Barcelona aspect.
The holders were now no longer with out their moments in Metropolis’s defensive third, where goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita did no longer encourage grand self belief, nevertheless it became the Barcelona draw that became peppered with photos as a change.
The hosts’ power deservedly paid off when Naomi Layzell poked in from a corner after Barcelona goalkeeper Catalina Coll uncared for the offer, allowing Vivianne Miedema to switch the ball support into the hall of uncertainty, where Layzell reacted quickest.
What adopted became an onslaught from a rejuvenated Barcelona in the 2d Forty five minutes, as Metropolis stumbled on themselves camped inside of their possess half, nevertheless a killer closing contact became eluding the Spanish quadruple winners.
Having defended valiantly for so lengthy, Metropolis caught Barcelona cool as Shaw skipped past Coll and doubled the hosts’ profit on a magical Manchester evening, albeit one which became a shrimp dampened by a slow grief to player of the match Layzell.
Metropolis’s observation victory leaves them 2d in Neighborhood D in the support of Hammarby, who overcame St Polten 2-0 on Wednesday evening, whereas Barcelona take a seat third as they impress to rectify their wrong initiating in seven days’ time.
MAN CITY VS. BARCELONA HIGHLIGHTS
Naomi Layzell draw vs. Barcelona (thirty sixth min, Man Metropolis 1-0 Barcelona)
— DAZN Girls folks’s Soccer (@DAZNWFootball) October 9, 2024
Taylor’s aspect lead the defending European champions, and now no longer a soul can bid that they attain now no longer deserve it!
The hosts accumulate a corner after Coll’s acrobatic end from Jess Park, nevertheless the Barcelona goalkeeper does now no longer duvet herself in glory here, attempting to punch the resulting corner away nevertheless getting all of it coarse and leaving her draw exposed.
In its put, Miedema heads a deep offer support into the six-yard box, where Layzell supreme gets in forward of a Barcelona foot to end low on the stretch!
Bunny Shaw draw vs. Barcelona (77th min, Man Metropolis 2-0 Barcelona)
— DAZN Girls folks’s Soccer (@DAZNWFootball) October 9, 2024
Anyone take rate of Arsenal’s shatter-and-grab 2-0 accumulate over Manchester Metropolis in the 2020 men’s FA Cup semi-finals? The Electorate impress as if they would possibly per chance per chance be on the appropriate dwell of the kind of consequence this time!
Taylor’s aspect have barely ventured out of their possess half in the 2d Forty five, nevertheless Shaw beats the offside trap and fends off a walk snort from Patricia Guijarro to search out herself one-on-one with Coll.
Shaw supreme about manages to take it spherical the goalkeeper sooner than letting flee with an admittedly archaic attempt, nevertheless one which rolls into the empty catch regardless, as Ona Batlle slides to take a impress at to block the shot nevertheless slides too a long way.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – NAOMI LAYZELL
© Imago
Up to now as Champions League debuts stride, they completely attain now no longer bag any larger than a draw and support against the reigning champions, and 20-year-archaic appropriate-support Layzell would possibly per chance per chance well well in most cases have dreamt of the next European baptism sooner than a slow grief.
The ragged Bristol Metropolis defender reacted quickest to plod in the opener sooner than playing a wonderfully-timed crooked stride through for Shaw, although her efficiency became a runt bit overshadowed by her grief-time withdrawal, as she dropped to the turf in agony with no one spherical her after exhibiting to jar her ankle.
A mention must also stride to centre-support Laia Aleixandri, who achieve in an even draw-saving clearance in the first half and became a defensive rock all evening lengthy.
MAN CITY VS. BARCELONA MATCH STATS
Possession: Man Metropolis 41%-59% Barcelona
Photos: Man Metropolis 13-17 Barcelona
Photos heading in the appropriate route: Man Metropolis 4-6 Barcelona
Corners: Man Metropolis 4-7 Barcelona
Fouls: Man Metropolis 11-3 Barcelona
BEST STATS
Ahead of this day, Barcelona had acquired 15 consecutive games in all competitions.
Manchester Metropolis supreme ended that slither, defeating the defending #UWCL champions 2-0 👏 pic.twitter.com/ukERIw8d22
— Soccer on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 9, 2024
WHAT NEXT?
Both groups would possibly per chance per chance be support in Champions League walk per week from now, as Man Metropolis hotfoot to Austria to face St. Polten subsequent Wednesday, whereas Barcelona host Hammarby at the Johan Cruyff Stadium.
In the interval in-between, Taylor’s aspect have a Girls folks’s Gargantuan League clash against Liverpool this Sunday to put together for, whereas the European champions host Espanyol on October 13.
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