Key events
5 min Back come Madrid, Linda winning a corner off Rose; they’re moving it quicker than City, who are looking to be a little more patient. Anyhow, the corner goes shot and, when the cross comes in, Shaw heads Caruso’s cross away and Jacinto butchers high.
4 min Madrid are moving it quickly and confidently, making City chase. But then they give it away and Shaw holds, finding Blinkilde Brown. Then, when the cross comes in, a ricochet sees the ball loop up, but Shaw can’t quite get her head on it.
2 min Madrid are taking it to City, Linda running at the defence before losing possession. Already, there’s a good tempo to proceedings.
1 min Immediately, Wamser sells Greenwood short, and Schroder, espying Yamashita off her line, snaps a rising shot from out on the right … which flies high. It was a difficult chance but, at the same time, if it’s on target, it’s in.
1 min Away we go!
…and here they come!
Our teams are tunnelled…
Those Madrid outfits and accessories. I can’t say I love the strides.
So where is the game? City will, I think, look to dominate in midfield, moving the ball quickly with the full-backs opffering width, especially on the right, and Shaw constantly challenging the last line, but peeling off for aerial crosses.
I doubt Madrid think they’re able to beat City at City’s game, so they’ll look to counter, keeping their front three up the field; the question is how they get the ball to them. But if they can, they’ll look to play into Schroder, with Linda and Athenea running off her, so she can spin and race into the box.
Oh my days, Inter have just equalised in the final seconds of injury time. FAK deserved a point or better against Chelsea, and this is a proper sickener.
We’re playing injury time in the two early games, in which it’s Austria Wien 1-0 inter and Køgø 5-1 Servette.
Also going on:
City look to have the edge over Madrid in midfield, the invention of Hasegawa and Fujino backed up by the industry of Blinkilde Brown. I’d expect Senss, Jacinto and Caruso to play closer together, to avoid being passed around, but they’ll also need to spring to begin attacks; not an easy balance to strike.
I’m really looking forward to the battle between Casparij and Caicedo. I reckon City will want Casparij to get forward and see if Caicedo will follow her, or cheat by staying upfield. If she has the run of the right flank, she can stand crosses up for Shaw, and I’d fancy her against the Madrid defence.
Two changes for Madrid too, Athenea and Silvia Cristobal coming in for Janou Levels and Lotte Keuklaar.
City make two changes to the side that drew at Bayern – they rested players for the 1- win at Charlton last weekend – with Sam Coffey and Beth Mead replaced by Mary Fowler and Laura Blindkilde Brown.
Teams!
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Yamashita; Casparij, Rose, Greenwood, Wamser; Blindkilde Brown, Hasegawa; Fowler Fujino, Hemp; Shaw. Subs: Cumings, Moorhouse, Clinton, Mead, Coffey, Charles, Beney, Prior, Lewis, Burdon.
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Frohms; Eva Navarro, Lakrar, Andersson, Silvia Cristobal; Arianna Caruso, Senss, Andreia Jacinto; Athenea, Schroder, Linda Caicedo. Subs: Laia Lopez, Noemi, Pau Comendador, Keukelaar, Dabritz, Bruun, Beerensteyn, Maria Mendez, Irune Dorado, Angeldahl, Holmgaard, San Martin.
Elsewhere, the PSG hoodies are a belting shade of blue; I’ll investigate photos presently.
Madrid have turned up with team-issue Louis Vuitton gear, apparently. In the Disney studio, they’re impressed.
Preamble
“Business as usual,” reckons City manager Andree Jeglertz, which is not the usual way of describing a Champions League tie with Real Madrid. However, though it remains unknown whether the, er … turmoil affecting the men’s side will transfer to the women, these are not usual times.
But football never stops, and this match should be an absolute rip-snorter. City, of course, were the club to finally break Chelsea’s absurd streak of six WSL titles on the spin and, with a front three of Beth Mead, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp, served by Aoba Fujino and Yui Hasegawa, they’ll take some stopping.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich almost managed it on matchday one, taking a two-goal lead and succumbing to a draw thanks only to an 86th-minute equaliser – and they did not have Linda Caicedo in their XI. The Madrid forward is a wonderful player of practicality and fantasy, good enough to dominate or settle any game; for her team to win, she’ll need to be at it, but there’s every chance she is.
Kick-off: 8pm BST