When Alexia Putellas was substituted in the 86th minute, fans of two-time Ballon d’Or winners Manchester City taunted by replying: “Who?
City kept not only Barcelona captain Putellas quiet but several more of the world’s best players in Aitana Bonmati, Caroline Graham Hansen and Patri Guijarro as they beat the Champions League champions 2-0 at the Joie Stadium on Wednesday. It is the first time the Catalan giants have failed to score in a Champions League group stage game and only the second time they have lost a game at this stage of the competition.
Gareth Taylor’s side showed different sides of themselves against what he and his captain Alex Greenwood believe to be the best team in the world. City were aggressive up front in their pressing and solid at the back.
Taylor used the same starting line-up and 4-3-3 formation as in the 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion late last month in the Women’s Super League, with one change: Mary Fowler started ahead of Aoba Fujino on the right. As with that Brighton game almost two weeks ago, he selected Naomi Layzell at right-back and switched Kerstin Casparij, who usually plays that position, to left-back in place of former Barcelona defender Leila Ouahabi.
Taylor said he needed an “aggressive full-back” and Casparij limited the threat of Graham Hansen on the right for Barca while Layzell blocked the attacking Fridolina Rolfo on the opposite flank.
City’s determination to be at the front was clear from the first whistle.
In the opening minutes, Greenwood was almost too aggressive when she stepped up midway into the Barcelona half for Bonmati to turn her and release Graham Hansen. The game ended with the Norwegian international hitting the post. Moments later, Laia Aleixandri saved City’s blushes with a goal-line clearance after Ewa Pajor latched on to Vivianne Miedema’s back pass.
Taylor’s tactics were perfect (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
But City stuck to their plan and took the game to Barcelona, an unfamiliar feeling for a team that usually dominates their games. They pressed the Barcelona back line which prevented the defending champions from getting the ball forward.
City won a lot of turnovers which led to attacks closer to goal and were almost rewarded for their efforts when Lauren Hemp hit the post.
Each member of the City team knew their role and Taylor put his team’s work rate down to “high confidence”. Sometimes Hemp put himself in the press, then Miedema stepped up before Casparij won the ball.
It was Casparij who ignited the move, seeing Jess Park’s shot palmed away by Cata Coll in the 35th minute. That led to a corner which Coll didn’t get a hand on and Layzell poked the ball home for his first senior goal of his career.
🔵 CIIIIITYYYYY!!!
Naomi Layzell transforms the Joie Stadium into Dreamland as the hosts lead the European champions.
Watch live for free on DAZN ▶️ #UWCL #UWCLonDAZN photo.twitter.com/L4xL8GoeyN
— DAZN Women’s Soccer (@DAZNWFootball) October 9, 2024
“We work on pressing up front, primarily because that’s where it starts,” Greenwood said. “Our press was so, so good.”
City worked hard and bullied Barcelona off the ball, qualities Bonmati pointed out. “They won a lot of duels,” said the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. “We weren’t so ready to want such a duel.
Barcelona’s new manager Pere Romeu pointed to City’s attack before the game and tried to use the Blaugrana’s right-hand man as an outlet. However, they were halted by hemp, which caused problems for Ona Batlle at right back, dispossessing Graham Hansen and knocking the ball away from Bonmati and Ingrid. None. The England winger made lung-busting runs up and down the field and slipped in the second half to concede a throw-in rather than a corner with as much determination as her attack.
“We put our bodies on the line,” Hemp said.
While Park was relentless, bearing down on Coll, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw muscled past Mapi Leon and her hold-up and Miedema were safe, allowing City to ease the pressure. Meanwhile, Yui Hasegawa turned Bonmati on occasion and intercepted Engen’s passes from behind.
In the first half, City had 18 touches in the opposition box compared to Barcelona’s six, but both teams had three shots on target. However, City took advantage of the opportunity.
In the second half, Barcelona managed to find space behind City’s first pressing line. They put City under more pressure and created more chances as a result. In the next 45 minutes they had 21 touches in the box while City only had three. At times City offered unnecessary pressure and Greenwood showed signs of composure at the back.
Layzell keeps a close eye on Putellas (PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
But overall, the hosts kept a tight build and forced the visitors to shoot from distance. Bonmati, Claudia Pina and even Keira Walsh, an English and former City midfielder, tried their luck between the 59th and 75th minute, but Barcelona’s result was not clinical enough. City had fewer shots overall (13 to Barcelona’s 17) and shots on target (four to six) but created more chances.
“We knew we had to weather the storm,” Taylor said.
Although the momentum shifted in Barcelona’s favour, in the 77th minute City hit the box with a long ball from Layzell to Shaw who put Coll over to double City’s lead.
🐰 Bunny Shaw doubles City’s lead against the European champions!
Watch live for free on DAZN ▶️ #UWCL #UWCLonDAZN photo.twitter.com/qbs57DGQRG
— DAZN Women’s Soccer (@DAZNWFootball) October 9, 2024
Such a confident performance from Layzell, playing from a right-back position instead of a central defender, did not surprise Taylor, who described the 20-year-old as “humble” and “very coachable”. England coach Sarina Wiegman was in attendance – Layzell is on her radar and will be hoping the ankle injury she was treated for at the end is not serious.
The European champions have not lost a game in any competition for eight months, but as Bonmati said after the game: “We weren’t at our best.
“I don’t want excuses. Everyone knows my opinion on the league. It’s because we didn’t do our best and we have to improve.”
Taylor beamed at the fans as he walked onto the pitch at the final whistle, but he and Greenwood said they would not be moved. But a fire has been lit in Manchester.
“We’re not here just to be here, we want to win,” Hemp said. “We’re going to try to go as far as we can. Nights like this – there’s nothing better. It makes us hungry.”
(Top photo: Shaw and Hemp receive full-time praise. Carl Recine/Getty Images)
#aggressively #Manchester #City #tactical #master #plan #beat #Barcelona