Man City vs Barcelona LIVE: Women’s Champions League result and reaction as Bunny Shaw scores against holders
City faced a tough outing in their first match of the group stages
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester City produced a massive performance to beat FC Barcelona 2-0 in their Women’s Champions League group stage opener against the reigning champions.
Gareth Taylor’s side came through qualifying to reach this stage of the tournament and impressed with a superb 8-0 aggregate win over Paris FC - but that was nothing perhaps, compared to taking on the holders of this trophy and beating them in deserved fashion, following a match of two distinct halves.
In the first 45 it was all City as they were aggressive, quicker to the ball, created plenty of openings and eventually scored from close range through Naomi Layzell; Vivienne Miedema could have added another, but the one-goal lead at the break was certainly the least City deserved. After the restart it was Barcelona who were much more on the front foot, but Aitana Bonmati seeing a low shot saved was as close as they came to an equaliser - and Bunny Shaw instead wrapped up the points with a late breakaway goal for the second for City.
Follow all the Women’s Champions League reaction with our live blog below:
70’ - Man City 1-0 Barcelona
Going to be a long 25 minutes at this rate for Man City - they’ve not been out of their half of the pitch for a while now. Perhaps changes will be afoot for them soon too. Barcelona just being patient probing, pushing a little more and definitely in control in this half. No equaliser yet though.
Keira Walsh is the latest to try her luck but it’s straight at the keeper and saved.
66’ - Man City 1-0 Barcelona
Greenwood does well now to close out another push forward from Barcelona, then Hemp stops the ball from going for a corner.
Pina, just on the pitch, lines one up from 20 yards and pings it towards the top corner - just a yard wide!
62’ - Man City 1-0 Barcelona
City playing themselves into a bit of trouble more than once and Yamashita perhaps again gets lucky that there’s not much more than a corner after her hesitancy.
Pina on for Engen in Barcelona’s first change.
58’ - Man City 1-0 Barcelona
This is really the first spell of pressure that Barcelona have kept up all night - Putellas and Rolfo win a corner between them, Graham Hansen over to take it. City just needing a pause here, clear their lines and rebuild again in slower fashion perhaps. They have put a lot of effort into this first hour of the game.
Shaw clears the corner, then slips on the edgeof the box and Bonmati shoots - saved low down by Yamashita.
54’ - Man City 1-0 Barcelona
Bonmati and Graham Hansen now combine down the right channel and it’s pulled across to Alexia Putellas - she thinks she’s finding the corner of the net but again Aleixandri is there to fly in with a brilliant block!
First real chance of the half for the visitors.
50’ - Man City 1-0 Barcelona
City have continued the same way they played in the first 45 - on the front foot, aggressive, quick to close down Barcelona and really pushing for chances on goal themselves.
A second goal here tonight would be no more than they deserve, but they have spurned plenty of chances already to do so.
46' - Man City 1-0 Barcelona
Back underway in Manchester. City are straight on the front foot and Graham Hansen is immediately booked for tripping Casparij as she looks to break into the box. Greenwood is over the free-kick and curls it in...and with three blue shirts racing in, Miedema glances a header wide!
That should be buried - Shaw was behind her but even Miedema should have scored.
Harder scores hat-trick as Bayern thrash Arsenal in UWCL opener
A hat-trick from former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder consigned Arsenal to a 5-2 defeat at Bayern Munich on their Champions League group stage return.
Arsenal were knocked out in qualifying by Paris FC last year but, after they navigated fixtures with Rangers, Rosenborg and a two-legged round with Hacken, the Women’s Super League outfit were unable to claim any points from their Group C opener.
Mariona Caldentey put Jonas Eidevall’s Gunners ahead in Munich after 30 minutes but, while Laia Codina made it 2-2 in the 56th minute, Harder ended her European goal drought for Bayern with three goals in the final 17 minutes to fire the hosts to an impressive victory.
Harder scores hat-trick as Bayern thrash Arsenal in Women’s Champions League
Bayern Munich 5-2 Arsenal: Harder’s treble came late on after Mariona Caldentey had initially put the Gunners ahead
HT - Man City 1-0 Barcelona
There’s the whistle - a huge cheer goes up. Layzell’s close-range finish the difference against the reigning Women’s Champions League holders.
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