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Chloe Digby·9 October 2024
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Chloe Digby·9 October 2024
The Women’s Champions League continues on Wednesday night with more top European sides in action.
Here’s what happened.
Scorers: Layzell 36′, Shaw 76′
This game was billed as the clash of the titans and it certainly lived up to expectations in the opening stages as both sides went hammer and tongs against each other.
When Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll made a sublime save from Khadija Shaw’s effort, the resulting corner allowed Manchester City to strike the first blow.
As the ‘keeper came to make the save from ball in, she completely missed, allowing Vivianne Miedema to head back across goal, and Naomi Layzell was there first to poke the ball beyond the Barça defence.
With just under 15 minutes to play, a lack of concentration in the Barcelona defence was pounced upon by Shaw, who made no mistake when she was one-on-one with Cata Coll.
Scorers: Cantore 24′
Juventus ground out a 1-0 win over Swedish side Vålerenga, with the home side having put up a good fight on the night.
The Bianconere found themselves ahead in Oslo when Sofia Cantore found herself in space in the box. Rather than drive forward, she swung her left boot at the ball and netted with a superb effort into the bottom corner.
Scorers: Caldentey 30′ Codina 65′; Viggósdóttir 43′, Lohmann 55′, Harder 73′ 79′ 86′
Arsenal started brightly and grabbed a deserved lead when Katie McCabe chipped a ball into the box for Mariona Caldentey to deliver a first-time finish that hit the back of the net before the Bayern defence had chance to blink.
Yet Bayern grew into the game, and as half-time was approaching got their equaliser. Georgia Stanway had already threatened with a trademark shot on goal from distance, but this time she launched a dangerous long ball into the box for Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir to get on the end of with a looping header.
The Bundesliga side came out of the dressing room with the same energy and immediately tested Manuela Zinsberger, before a smart counter-attack from Klara Bühl set up Sydney Lohmann, who slotted home a smart finish at the near post.
Just as it seemed Bayern were in firm control, McCabe swung in a corner that was nodded in by Spanish defender Laia Codina to even up the scores.
Then the match took another swing, as another header from a corner – this time from Pernille Harder – put the home side back on top.
Five minutes later and Harder had a brace, from a similar scenario to her first when a cross came over and she was able to beat the Arsenal defence to score with her head from a central position.
Bayern were now ripping through the Arsenal backline, and when a neat cross from Giulia Gwinn came into the box from the right-hand side, Harder was there to bundle it home.
Matchday Two of the Women’s Champions League group stage takes place on Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th October.