The UWCL Review Program – Matchday 1
AS Roma vs. VfL Wolfsburg
The first match of Group A saw Italian champions AS Roma take on German runners-up VfL Wolfsburg on a dark and windy Tuesday night. The match started in equal footing until the Wolves conceded a penalty in the thirteenth minute. Roma captain Manuela Giugliano duly took the spot-kick past Merle Frohms to give the Italians the lead. After that, it was an open match where both teams had multiple chances on goal, with Wolfsburg being the more creative side. However, they would not find the breakthrough they needed as the Roma backline defended astutely and brilliantly to keep a crucial clean sheet in the perceived battle for second place in the group. This loss put some pressure on Wolfsburg as they are anticipating a massive clash against FC Bayern on the weekend, and should they lose to the Bavarians in that battle for supremacy in the Frauen-Bundesliga, it might signal the end of their time at the summit of German football.
Olympique Lyonnais vs. Galatasaray
A 3-0 win for the French side was as predictable as it gets. Two goals from Kadidiatou Diani and a goal from Canadian defender Vanessa Gilles sealed the win for the Michele Kang-owned club. With 40 shots in total, it was almost complete domination from Lyon as they want to clear the group stage unscathed. To be fair, Galatasaray put up quite a good fight and did not concede more than three goals in their debut in the Champions League group stage, and beating them might not be as easy as one, two, three.
Chelsea vs. Real Madrid
In the perceived battle for first place in Group B are Chelsea and Real Madrid. A new era beckons for the Blues as they are without legendary manager Emma Hayes for the first time in more than twelve years. As for Real Madrid, they have made crucial transfers in their bid for overthrowing Barcelona at the peak of Liga F. With a perfect start to the season, this was the first real test for Los Blancos, and in a battle of wit and attrition, the Blues came out on top with a 3-2 win through goals from Sjoeke Nüsken, Guro Reiten (p), and Mayra Ramirez. Real Madrid managed two goals through new signing Alba Redondo and young starlet Linda Caicedo. Playing at a limited-capacity Stamford Bridge might have given Chelsea that boost to power through the Spanish runners-up, and with the two being quite close in terms of power level, the return fixture in Spain might throw some curveballs.
Celtic vs. Twente
In a battle of two league champions, Celtic vs. Twente was a game that was eventually won by the away side. Midfielder Kayleigh van Dooren scored in both halves to secure Twente a crucial win in the group stage, and with a higher goal difference than Chelsea, they are currently top of the table. Celtic, however, put up quite a decent fight and had ten attempts on goal, but it was not enough to get through Twente’s excellent game plan.
Bayern München vs. Arsenal
The highest-scoring game of the matchday was a classic battle between German champions Bayern München and Arsenal, the third-placed team from the WSL. This match saw everything from hard tackles, brilliant set-pieces, and tensions between the two great teams. New Arsenal signing Mariona Caldentey opened the scoring in the 30th minute, but just before half-time, Bayern captain Glodis Perla Viggosdottir equalized for the Bavarians. With the score at 1-1, it was going to be a classic in the group stages. Eleven minutes after the break, midfielder Sydney Lohmann would give Bayern the lead, but not long after, Arsenal answered with a header from defender Laia Codina, who has established herself as one of the first names in the Arsenal defense. Despite the equalizer, Arsenal would suffer a capitulation of epic proportions from the 73rd minute onwards. After conceding a corner, former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder scored a clinical header past Manuela Zinsberger and gave Bayern the lead they duly deserved. It was expected, once again, for the Gunners to fight back and grab an equalizer, but the opposite happened and Harder scored with another header in an almost-identical manner to the first one. And to put the icing on the cake, Harder scored once again after a cut-back from Giulia Gwinn. With this result, Arsenal are in dire straits, considering their next match is a big one against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium, and should they lose that match as well, it might be curtains for Jonas Eidevall’s much-maligned Arsenal career.
Valerenga vs. Juventus
The second match from Group C saw Norwegian champions Valerenga pit their wits against the Italian runners-up Juventus. In a match that was very evenly contested, it was the Old Ladies who came out on top through a goal from Sofia Cantore. Despite losing, it looks like the Norwegians are not going to be easy to beat, as they actually had more attempts on goal and more of the ball compared to their counterparts. It would be interesting to see their progress come next week, especially if they continue to perform against the perceived better teams.
Manchester City vs. Barcelona
Billed as the “game of the week”, Manchester City against Barcelona on Wednesday night was a sight to behold. In an equally-contested battle, it would be the blue side of Manchester who came home with all three points as young defender Naomi Layzell scored on her Champions League debut. The 20-year-old would then provide an assist in the 70th minute for serial goalscorer Khadija “Bunny” Shaw to seal the victory for Manchester City. This 2-0 victory meant that for the first time in nineteen group stage games, Barcelona failed to score a single goal, and their reactions showed as they cannot destroy Manchester City like they do the rest of the Liga F. Also, this defeat showed cracks within the system implemented by new manager Pere Romeu. Although this might just be a manager trying to find his feet in this level of the game, some Barcelona fans have been calling for changes in terms of implementing his game plan to the players. But, this is not to take away from City’s excellent performance in front of their own fans. Defensively, they were quite astute in neutralizing Barcelona’s advances, even though at the end, there were injury scares for both Layzell and former Barcelona academy graduate Laia Aleixandri.
Hammarby vs. St. Pölten
Once again, a battle between league champions, this time from Sweden and Austria. Known as a legacy club in the context of European competition in women’s football, Hammarby finally made their return after winning the league for the first time in 38 years in 2023. The Swedish side dominated proceedings and the goals were scored by, interestingly enough, Norwegians. Both Cathinka Tanberg and Vilde Hasund scored for the Swedish side, with the latter nominated as player of the match.
