Manchester City Women finally turned a draw into a win in Europe, coming from a goal down to beat Inter Women 4-1 in Monza on Tuesday 10 November. Aoba Fujino scored twice before half-time, Kerstin Casparij and Grace Clinton added the rest, and City had their first Women’s Champions League win of the season at the fourth attempt.
It came at a useful moment. City had drawn all three of their opening league phase games, 2-2 at Bayern Munich and then 1-1 at home to both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. The three points lift them to seventh on six, and they go into Saturday’s top-of-the-table WSL meeting with Chelsea with a first European win behind them.
How City turned it round
Inter scored against the run of play in the 24th minute, Elisa Bartoli glancing a header in at the far post from Ivana Andrés’s cross. The lead lasted nine minutes. Laura Blindkilde Brown slid a pass through the Inter back line and Fujino finished one on one.
City went in front on the stroke of half-time. Iman Beney broke clear down the right, goalkeeper Cecilia Rúnarsdóttir saved from Mary Fowler, and Fujino was first to the rebound.
Ayaka Yamashita kept that lead intact early in the second half, tipping a curling Haley Bugeja shot round the far post. Casparij made it 3-1 in the 56th minute, taking Sam Coffey’s pass in a crowded box and placing it into the corner. Rúnarsdóttir made a double save from Fowler before the hour, but the fourth came with 20 minutes left: Lauren Hemp, on at half-time for Fujino, crossed from the left and Clinton steered it in at the back post.
UEFA named Blindkilde Brown player of the match. City also managed the night with the weekend in mind. Khadija Shaw sat out the whole game, BBC Sport reported, and Yui Hasegawa came on only for the last 15 minutes. By the club’s own count, City are now unbeaten in 17 matches in all competitions.
Chelsea Women held in Sweden
Earlier in the evening Chelsea Women drew 0-0 away to BK Häcken in Gothenburg, where UEFA made Häcken goalkeeper Jennifer Falk player of the match. Chelsea are unbeaten in the league phase and have not conceded a goal in four games. They sit third on eight points, level with second-placed Bayern, who won 2-1 at PSG. Barcelona lead on nine points from three games.
City are one point behind fourth-placed OL Lyonnes, who, like fifth-placed Arsenal, have a game in hand. With two league phase games left, City’s own match report puts them in the thick of the race for automatic qualification.
What comes next
The two English clubs meet first in the WSL, at Chelsea on Saturday 14 November, kick-off 1.30pm UK time (9.30pm in Singapore). City lead the table on 25 points from nine games, two clear of Chelsea, and neither side has lost a league game this season.
Back in Europe, City visit Häcken on Wednesday 18 November, which is 1.45am on Thursday 19 November in Singapore, before hosting Austria Wien on 16 December. Chelsea host PSG on 18 November, a 4am kick-off in Singapore on 19 November.
