Manchester Metropolis have been denied the prospect to play Champions League soccer this season as they fell brief towards a dominant Actual Madrid. Caroline Weir got here again to hang-out her former facet, slotting residence the winner at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.
Actual Madrid took full benefit of a house crowd, which cheered them on, and the stands weren’t the one place they dominated. Madrid noticed a big a part of the ball within the first half in a showdown between two heavyweights of the sport. Olga Carmona very practically obtained the Spaniards on the scoresheet inside 10 minutes, her volley, which was destined for the highest nook, palmed away brilliantly by Ellie Roebuck.
Solely moments later although, Caroline Weir, who spent 4 seasons at Metropolis, put Madrid 1-0 up. The Scottish worldwide left Metropolis to affix Madrid this season and put her former facet behind in solely her second match on the membership with a skilful end that will have been all too acquainted to her former teammates.
Weir was in audacious temper and tried a long-range chip which didn’t discover the web this time, although Metropolis followers will keep in mind her pulling off an identical trick towards Manchester United final season.
Laia Aleixandri virtually drew Metropolis again stage when a nook fell to her, however she couldn’t head previous Misa Rodríguez. The house crowd have been making a thunderous noise however Metropolis have been beginning to discover their rhythm and confidence, particularly down the flanks. However they couldn’t create many possibilities to get again into the sport, with a skilful Madrid midfield shutting them out.
Kathellen Sousa let a haphazard Metropolis defence off the hook when she didn’t capitalise on an unprotected purpose at shut vary and headed over, to the reduction of Roebuck. Metropolis’s captain Alex Greenwood made a superb deal with to cease the constantly threatening Naomie Feller from finishing a blistering run into the field.
At half-time the Metropolis supervisor, Gareth Taylor, swapped out Vicky Losada and Leila Ouahabi for Laura Coombs and Demi Stokes to attempt to regain some management of the sport. A few minutes into the second half Chloe Kelly, England’s Euro 2022 remaining matchwinner, needed to come off injured and was changed by Hayley Raso.
Metropolis have been beginning to make some nice strikes and Bunny Shaw got here up with Metropolis’s finest probability. After heading off a defender she unleashed a strong volley which Rodríguez was clever to and saved effectively.
Weir made her presence felt once more and practically scored her second when a free-kick zipped straight on to her boot. Nonetheless Roebuck got here to Metropolis’s rescue to smother the shot, which was heading into the underside left nook.
Roebuck continued to maintain Metropolis within the recreation, however to no avail as their efforts fell brief towards a well-organised Actual Madrid facet who went toe to toe with each blue shirt on the pitch. Hemp’s agonisingly shut effort throughout the face of purpose summed up the sport, the decisive second Metropolis wanted failing to materialise.
Earlier than the sport, Taylor stated: “We’re going to lose one actually good staff that ought to be within the group levels, and that shall be an actual disgrace.”
That is the fifth time Metropolis have been knocked out of Europe by Spanish opposition, and is one other misplaced alternative to affix Chelsea and probably Arsenal within the present Champions League marketing campaign.
Taylor’s facet might want to decide themselves up from what shall be an enormous blow earlier than the 2022-23 Ladies’s Tremendous League begins subsequent month.
