Vilde Bøe Risa ‘looking forward’ to blockbuster Man United reunion in Champions League | OneFootball

Vilde Bøe Risa is looking ahead to meeting with her former club Manchester United in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. The Norwegian and Atlético Madrid suffered a hefty 6-0 defeat to Barcelona in their latest Liga F outing and will be eager to bounce back to form.

The experienced midfielder has racked up almost 100 caps for her native Norway, whilst gaining experience playing in four different countries domestically. After signing for Atleti in 2023, Bøe Risa and her side want to show the world that Barcelona are not the only Spanish side who can compete on Europe’s biggest stage.

After beating St. Pölten 6-0 in the first league game, Atlético Madrid will host Man United, before facing Juventus, FC Twente, Bayern München and OL Lyonnes.

Fond memories of Manchester for Bøe Risa

After spending two seasons in the North of England, Bøe Risa reflected positively on her time with Man United.

“I was so happy to see that we were going to play against them. I’m really looking forward to the game, my time at United was really nice.”

The midfielder also spoke about the ‘great time’ she had in the Women’s Super League. However, she admits that Liga F suits her too, as a league to unlock her ‘potential’.

Old friends and new foes

When asked about her old side, Bøe Risa noted the number of changes with players but also management. Speaking about her Norwegian counterparts Elisabeth Terland and Celine Bizet, the midfielder said: “Terland keeps scoring and works so hard, she gives a lot of room for Tooney [Ella Toone] and Jess Park to come into the pockets and play their game.”

Regarding Bizet, she added “She is not scared of going 1v1 and is very brave.”

It appears that the experienced midfielder is prepared to face her old side. This tactical insight might be all they need to get the three points over the line.

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Growth of Spanish football

Whilst noting that winning the UWCL is her dream, the 30-year-old admits showcasing Spanish football is paramount.

“It’s very important. We do everything we can to show the league is growing and it’s not just Barcelona.”

Reflecting on last week’s fixtures, she stressed how promising it was to see Atlético dismantle St. Pölten, alongside Real Madrid, who did the same to Roma. This may prove difficult this week, as she recognises how Man United are wrongfully viewed as ‘underdogs’ who play in ‘the best league in the World’.

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Bouncing back with Atleti

After suffering a damning 6-0 defeat against Barcelona at the weekend, Bøe Risa wasted no time in stressing how disappointing this was, and wants to turn things around for the fans.

“I don’t want that game to happen again. I want to go out and impress [the fans] and show them we’re not here to let them play. The fans deserve more than what they saw on Sunday.”

Hoping to right their wrongs, Atlético will kick-off against Manchester United this evening at 5:45pm BST. The match will be available to watch via a Disney+ subscription.

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