MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 2, ZVEZDA-2005 PERM 0
Goals by Jill Scott and Lucy Bronze ensured victory for Manchester City Women, despite a late chance to equalise for visitors Zvezda, in their first ever Champions League fixture.
After a slow start City were in total control of the game after Jill Scott stabbed home from six yards out shortly before half time following a cross by Lucy Bronze.
With two hours of football under their belts from Sunday’s Continental Cup victory over Birmingham, City seemed to lose concentration against their Russian opponents close to the end of the game after twice hitting the woodwork through Steph Houghton and Scott.
There were two great late chances for Zvezda to level the first leg with chances by Ekaterina Pantyukhina and Daria Apanaschenko before Bronze finally wrapped up victory with an injury time strike after the visitors failed to clear a Toni Duggan corner.
Champions league like international duty, says Nick Cushing
City coach Nick Cushing was pleased to be taking a 2-0 lead to Russia after seeing their visitors apparently content to leave Manchester with a one goal deficit.
He said: “It’ll be important mentally for us. The players are more settled now because of the dominance we had.
“It was a game of chess. We wanted to win the tie and keep a clean sheet.
“We were in control of the game at 1-0. 2-0 is better but we were content at 1-0.”
Cushing backed City’s players to improve in the away tie against Zvezda and flourish despite not being at their best and tiring in the second half after a hard week.
He added:
“We weren’t at our best tonight. We knew they woud be resolute and try and limit us and win the tie in Russia.
“Maybe it was a bit of fatigue. Starting the Champions League at the end of a busy period wasn’t ideal but we cant complain.
“But we can’t get away with too many individual errors in this competition.”
Cushing made just two changes to the side which lined up against Zvezda-2005 Perm after playing for two hours against Birmingham City on Sunday.
Two changes for double-winning Manchester City Women
Kosovare Asllani and Karen Bardsley came in for Marie Hourihan and Nikita Parris as Double-winning City played their first Champions League game against the Russian league runners-up in the Round of 32.
There was inevitably a cagey opening period where City’s free scoring players came up against an organised Russian defence that gave little away.
City finally made the breakthrough in the 34th minute when Lucy Bronze’s cross found Jill Scott who stabbed it in from six yards out.
The weight was lifted from City’s shoulders and Zvezda goalkeeper Iryna Zvarych denied City a quick second while Steph Houghton headed a Toni Duggan corner against the bar.
The chances continued to come as the game opened up in the second half, with chances by Jane Ross for City while Zvezda were reduced to a handful of tame efforts that didn’t test Karen Bardsley in the City goal.
Scott tried her luck again in the second half with an impressive 55th minute effort that had Zvarych palming the ball away as City opted to press home attacks down Zvezda’s left flank.
Ross’ cut back on the hour saw Scott blaze well wide while Asllani later forced a save out of Zvezda’s ‘keeper from 15 yards out after receiving a pass from deep.
The Russians were forced to defend deep at times with Bronze and Asllani forcing them back with a superb move midway through the second half which deserved a goal after quickfire exchanging of passes before they were crowded out.
The pair combined again later but were denied a penalty after Asllani went down under a challenge in the box while going for Bronze’s cross.
City’s dominance from corners was clear and substitute Tessel Middag blazed over from one of Bronze’s efforts towards the end of the game.
And Scott hit the back post with an 81st minute shot.
Late chances to level it for Zvezda
Zvezda’s best chance came in the 83rd minute when Karen Bardsley had to race out of her box to challenge Ekaterina Pantyukhina who was chasing the lost cause.
Bardsley took a booking for the team, saved the free kick, and watched Daria Apanaschenko miss the target with the follow-up.
Pantyukhina also broke past Steph Houghton and Keira Walsh to put the ball across the box but there was nobody there for the tap-in.
It was a sign that no side are to be underestimated in this competition but City finished with a flourish after Zvezda failed to properly deal with another Duggan corner, City’s 12th of the game, and Bronze thrashed the half-cleared ball in from the edge of the box.