Manchester City’s thrilling victory over holders Barcelona in their opening group stage match sent a clear message about their potential to advance far in the Women’s Champions League this year.
A goal in each half from Naomi Layzell and Khadija Shaw handed the English squad a remarkable triumph that will go down in the club’s history as one of their greatest to date on a night when the technical quality of both teams’ football was enjoyable to witness.
The challenge of taking on the squad that had won the title in the previous two seasons and advanced to five of the previous six European finals appeared difficult after the team had to wait three years to return to the highest club competition for women’s football in Europe. However, City emerged with a point to prove rather than appearing rattled. The hosts immediately set the tone by applying such tremendous pressure to the Barcelona defense right from the start that they were forced to concede a throw-in.
Before the game, there were a few gasps in the media working area even at the announcement of the lineups. Big names from Barcelona were all getting started. The winner of the Ballon d’Or is Aitana Bonmatí. The football queen of Spain is Alexia Putellas. The metronome of the England midfield, Keira Walsh. With Bonmatí, Walsh, Fridolina Rolfö of Sweden, Caroline Graham Hansen of Norway, and Mapi León of central defense, the visiting team’s starting lineup featured five of the top eight players from the Guardian’s 2023 list of the best 100 women’s football players. It appeared menacing.
The fact that the game’s first goal should come from a 20-year-old England youth international—who is playing in her second Champions League match after joining from Bristol City in the summer—was therefore possibly the ideal twist. After a corner, Layzell bundled the ball home at the back post, shocking everyone in the room.
She had never scored a goal in her senior year, much less for City, and it took a great match for her to do so. Layzell was thrust into the team for the biggest night of her career so far and given the difficult task of having to mark the former Ballon d’Or winner Putellas in addition to keeping an eye out for Rolfö’s overlapping runs down Barcelona’s left flank. She made a few slightly careless mistakes in the first three minutes of the game, but after that, the first half saw her excel.
The young player, who looked to have an ankle problem, walked off in second-half stoppage time. Head coach Gareth Taylor claimed his physios were “positive” about Layzell, who had played well while being closely supervised by England head coach Sarina Wiegman.
Both teams’ play was of a better caliber than what fans at the packed Joie Stadium had become accustomed to in recent years. And even if City’s work rate forced them to give up possession, Barcelona’s dangers were still quite evident. Graham Hansen’s only goal was thwarted by the breadth of the post, and after a Vivianne Miedema error, Laia Aleixandri’s incredible goalline clearance kept the visitors out.
Would Manchester City, having worked so hard off the ball, run out of steam late in a match against the sport’s most fluid passing unit as Barcelona started to control the ball in the second half? Barcelona started putting their commitment to the test in a way that only they can. Aleixandri was compelled by Putellas to make another excellent block.
However, Jamaican striker Shaw delivered the ideal sucker punch at the other end, scrapping to win the ball from a Layzell pass and then rolling the ball beyond Cata Coll, providing a scoreline that will make all of European women’s football take notice. The pressure seemed to be building to the point where an equalizer felt inevitable.
After the win, Taylor downplayed his team’s chances of winning the competition, obviously attempting not to get carried away, saying only, “We are super honored to be in the competition and enjoying the journey.” It would be more accurate to describe seeing this match between two teams playing at such a high level as an honor. With a more confident outlook for Manchester City’s season, head coach of Barcelona Pere Romeu declared, “Manchester City will definitely be up there.” He might be right after all.
