Elisabeth Terland hat-trick takes Manchester United into Women’s Champions League | OneFootball

Manchester United reached the main draw of the Women’s Champions League for the first time after an Elisabeth Terland hat-trick helped them overturn a first-leg deficit to deservedly eliminate the Norwegian side Brann in the third qualifying round.

Terland netted a perfect hat-trick, scoring with her right foot after earlier doing so with her left and nodding in a header, to ensure Marc Skinner’s team will be included in Friday’s draw for the new, 18-team league phase of the competition, along with Chelsea and the holders Arsenal.

It was Terland’s second hat-trick in this competition already this term after just four European qualifying fixtures, the clinical forward having also scored a treble against PSV in August.

“She’s one of the best finishers I’ve ever worked with,” Skinner said, as he praised her psychology for thriving against her Norwegian compatriots and added: “She’s so intelligent in the box. She always wants to add bits to her game.”

United had come into the second leg at Leigh Sports Village trailing 1-0 on aggregate after a bizarre episode in the first leg in Bergen, when they somehow lost several of the boots in transit and were forced to hastily purchase new ones, and succumbed to a late Brann goal against the run of play. They have still not located the missing boots but certainly rediscovered their form in front of goal as they made a quick start.

The hosts capitalised on sloppy Brann defending to feed Terland and she lashed home the opening goal inside nine minutes with a ­ruthless first-time strike. She doubled the lead on the night and nudged United ahead on aggregate when she headed into the top corner from a difficult angle soon afterwards.

With Jess Park in a lively mood and the full-backs Anna Sandberg and Jayde Riviere in strong form, the home side dominated the game and created plenty of first-half chances without adding further goals. Just as the visitors began to slowly get back into the contest and enjoy some territory inside the Manchester United half after the break, Terland clinched the tie on the counterattack as she combined with Melvine Malard and then slotted in a low finish.

That took the confident Norway striker’s tally up to seven goals in four European games this term, and her eighth in all competitions, and it means Brann – with the former Crystal Palace manager Leif Smerud in charge – drop into the new secondary women’s European competition, the Europa Cup.

United went close to scoring more goals but Fridolina Rolfö, one of their summer signings, rifled just over the bar after coming on as a substitute. The primary note of concern for Skinner’s team came when Riviere, one of their best performers so far this term, had to be withdrawn, the Canada right-back hobbling off with about 12 minutes remaining. By then, the English side were coasting through and their supporters were chanting “we’re all going on a European tour”.

United will learn their opponents in Friday’s 11am draw ceremony and Skinner added confidently: “We’ve got to go in there and not just make up the numbers. We have to be excited by the opportunity. Whatever the draw is, I hope any teams that get us see they actually didn’t really want to play Manchester United.”

Header image: [Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters]