Matchday Three of this season’s UEFA Girls’s Champions League (UWCL) noticed some extra thrilling matchups and gave us a style of what is to come back because the desk begins to take form.
Tuesday noticed minnows Vålerenga defeat Roma 1-0, earlier than OL Lyonnes beat VfL Wolfsburg 3-1, Chelsea thrashed St. Pölten 6-0, and Actual Madrid snatched a last-minute equalizer in opposition to Paris FC to finish their recreation at 1-1.
Then on Wednesday, we noticed Barcelona beat Oud-Heverlee Leuven 3-0, Bayern Munich beautiful Arsenal with a 3-2 comeback win, Juventus beating Atlético Madrid 2-1, Benfica and FC Twente taking part in out to a 1-1 draw and in Mary Earps’ return to England, her former membership Manchester United beating her present membership Paris Saint-Germain 2-1.
We requested our writers Beth Lindop, Alex Kirkland and Tom Hamilton to reply a few of our burning questions.
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Is Sam Kerr’s return the lacking ingredient for Chelsea to finish their UWCL wait?
Lindop: It could be 692 days since her final Chelsea begin, after she suffered a long-term ACL harm, however Kerr’s two-goal show in opposition to St. Pölten within the 6-0 win proved that she nonetheless has all the components to be probably the greatest strikers on the planet.
Within the early levels on Tuesday night time, the Australia worldwide seemed uncharacteristically rusty, spurning quite a lot of possibilities earlier than lastly getting her first objective within the 72nd minute. She then adopted this up with a trademark Kerr header in stoppage time. Though it nonetheless may take a while earlier than she’s again to her best, her return to scoring type may definitely give Chelsea the additional edge they’ve been lacking in European competitors.
Kirkland: It is nonetheless early days, however two objectives in Kerr’s first 90 minutes in nearly two years is critically encouraging for Chelsea, and worrying for his or her rivals. She took some time to get going in opposition to St. Pölten, as you’d count on, however Kerr’s goalscoring knack is one thing you by no means lose. And sure, Chelsea are wanting good, however let’s examine how they get on in opposition to Barcelona — Europe’s gold normal for years now — later this month. That is a correct take a look at, and that is after we’ll be capable of choose the place they, and Kerr, are at.
Hamilton: Kerr’s return must be ominous for the remainder of European soccer. And this commanding win in Austria additionally coincided with Lauren James and Naomi Girma’s comebacks, that is a trio of world-class choices to have obtainable. They’re unbeaten within the Champions League to this point, and with Barcelona on the horizon, Kerr’s return is well timed and makes Sonia Bompastor’s group much more deadly.
Beth is true, it will take time for her to fine-tune her radar up entrance, however the two objectives recommend she’s on the precise path. Nevertheless it’ll take time, and let’s not learn an excessive amount of into this fairly but – this was hardly an acid take a look at. Chelsea had 43 photographs, with 19 heading in the right direction. Nonetheless, Kerr’s return is large, and if she will get again to her greatest, then Chelsea must be cemented as favorites for the event. The problem for Bompastor is to work out how one can hold all of her ahead choices completely satisfied.
Does Vålerenga’s win over Roma justify the brand new UWCL format?
Lindop: All of us love a soccer fairytale and, for all of its flaws, the brand new 18-team single-league section format helps to facilitate that. Vålerenga have been fairly unfortunate up to now, pushing Manchester United and Wolfsburg all the way in which earlier than narrowly shedding, so it was nice to see them safe their first victory within the competitors in opposition to Roma.
The truth that FC Twente held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw on the primary matchday is additional proof that there’s loads of scope for upsets, and hopefully there are few extra in retailer earlier than we attain the knockout levels.
Kirkland: It was nice: simply what this event must be all about, however so typically is not. And the truth that Valerenga’s victory was sealed by such a shocking solo objective, scored by Stine Brekken, made it even higher. Brekken put it greatest afterwards: “We have been combating for thus lengthy to get higher and attempt to compete right here, and immediately we bought to indicate it.”
And that is precisely the purpose: groups like Valerenga want expertise at this stage, in opposition to high groups, to develop. Final 12 months, they drew one and misplaced 5 of their UWCL video games. Now, they’re beating Roma. Improbable.
Hamilton: The Valerenga match was magic, so too the sight of their supervisor, Nils Lexerod within the stands at halftime main a sing-along, having been suspended from standing on the touchline. At full time, they celebrated with their chef. The OH Leuven story has additionally been eye-catching, after their draw at Paris FC and win over Twente.
These are lifelong recollections. Elsewhere, FC Twente’s draw with Chelsea was a event spotlight, and here is to many extra upsets and twists alongside the way in which.
What is going on improper at Arsenal proper now?
Lindop: As defending champions, Arsenal now have a goal on their backs. Defensive accidents aren’t serving to their trigger, with academy graduate Katie Reid having suffered an ACL harm in coaching, however it’s the psychological side of Wednesday night time’s defeat that can maybe concern head coach Renee Slegers most.
Having gone 2-0 up within the first half, Arsenal had been cruising and, whereas Bayern boss Jose Barcala deserves credit score for his impactful substitutions, a group bidding to go all the way in which on this competitors shouldn’t be capitulating in the way in which that Arsenal did after the break. The Gunners want to seek out some consistency, notably on the again. However, with a number of key personnel lacking, that could be simpler mentioned than completed.
Hamilton: I agree with Beth, and whereas Barcala bought his substitutions proper, the replacements Slegers made disrupted their rhythm. Pernille Tougher got here off the Bayern bench and altered the match, however when Arsenal emptied theirs, they misplaced all rhythm and cohesion. The sensible urgent and hustling we noticed within the first half disappeared, and it left Tougher to dictate the tempo of the match.
It is clear there’s some hangover from final season. Whereas that great victory was partly pushed by sheer emotion, it is arduous to copy that. The accidents aren’t serving to, and the brand new signings have not but been absolutely built-in. It is going to take somewhat juggling from Slegers to get the ship again on monitor.
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Renée Slegers reacts to Arsenal’s 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich
Arsenal supervisor Renée Slegers speaks after her group’s 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich within the Girls’s Champions League.
The 2 Madrid golf equipment had very totally different video games. What is the distinction between them proper now?
Kirkland: Each Actual Madrid and Atletico had been trailing by a objective, going into the ultimate minutes of their video games with Paris FC and Juventus, respectively. The distinction is straightforward: Madrid dug deep, summoned up a few of that intangible, mysterious “Actual Madrid within the Champions League” spirit, and by some means discovered a 98th-minute equalizer by Caroline Weir; and Atletico weren’t capable of do the identical a day later.
In earlier seasons, Actual Madrid have felt not fairly mature sufficient as a group to correctly compete at this stage. Bear in mind, that is solely their fifth UWCL marketing campaign for the reason that group’s formation in 2020. They’re nonetheless removed from the proper group, and I would not rank them among the many favorites to win this event, however they’ve now bought a pleasant mix of cool-headed veterans like Weir, and carefree, gifted children like Linda Caicedo. Let’s have a look at how far it takes them.
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Caroline Weir’s final minute objective equalises it for Actual Madrid vs. Paris FC
Caroline Weir scores within the seventh minute of added time to stage it up for Actual Madrid vs. Paris FC within the Girls’s Champions League.
Everybody was speaking about Mary Earps earlier than her Man United return, however was she upstaged?
Lindop: When the group sheets dropped at Outdated Trafford on Wednesday night time, the information that Safia Middleton-Patel was beginning in objective for Manchester United will definitely have raised a number of eyebrows. Phallon Tullis-Joyce has been a colossus in objective for United for the reason that begin of final season, and so her harm will understandably be a reason behind concern for Marc Skinner and his employees.
However, making simply her second senior look for the membership, Middleton-Patel carried out admirably, rising to the event and making an enormous save to disclaim Anaïs Ebayilin when the scores had been stage early within the second half. So far as Earps is anxious, it was a disappointing return to Manchester, nevertheless it was good to see her applauding supporters on the full-time whistle. It has been a troublesome week for the previous England worldwide, however she nonetheless has loads of followers at United and past.
Hamilton: Having been at Outdated Trafford, the reception Earps obtained firstly of the match was markedly totally different from the one on the finish. She was greeted with boos (interspersed with cheers) on the outset, however by the tip of the match, as she walked across the pitch, there have been indicators supporting her and loads of love.
However the star goalkeeper on the night time was Middleton-Patel. She solely discovered she was beginning at mid-afternoon on Wednesday, and put in an excellent efficiency. No goalkeeper on the planet may’ve saved Olga Carmona’s shot, and she or he was calm and measured all through. You possibly can by no means have guessed Middleton-Patel was in simply her second match on such a stage.
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Middleton-Patel displays on ‘particular’ first UWCL recreation for Man United
Safia Middleton-Patel speaks after beginning her first recreation within the Girls’s Champions League for Manchester United.
What was your favourite objective of the spherical?
Lindop: I am really going to go together with Kerr’s second in opposition to St. Pölten. It wasn’t probably the most spectacular objective, nor probably the most decisive by way of the end result, nevertheless it was completely traditional Kerr: rising highest to nod residence from a Niamh Charles cross. It has been such a very long time since we bought to see the striker at her best, however that trademark end supplied the proper reminder of what she’s all about.
Kirkland: Weir’s late equalizer for Actual Madrid was arduous to high by way of drama, however the high quality of the strike was nothing in comparison with Emma Stølen Godø’s free kick for Juventus at Atlético. However really, overlook each: my favourite is a objective I discussed earlier, Brekken’s solo effort for Valerenga. A dribble that begins with a nutmeg: what’s to not like?!
Hamilton: There have been some very good efforts: Mariona Caldentey’s in opposition to Bayern was so fantastically judged, whereas Fridolina Rolfö’s header in opposition to PSG was a results of a beautiful group transfer. However I am going for Carmona’s objective in opposition to Manchester United in the identical match. I am biased as I noticed it dwell, nevertheless it was simply a kind of good photographs that appeared to hold for an age within the sky and was fully inconceivable to avoid wasting.