MAN CITY WOMEN 1, BRONDBY IF 0
- Louis Kristensen’s shot takes a deflection but is saved by Karen Bardsley
- Jane Ross is denied by Simone Sorensen on the line after rounding Katrine Abel
- Keira Walsh’s 30 yard rocket wins the game for Man City Women
- Katrine Veja’s last minute lob was tipped onto the bar by Bardsley
Manchester City will take a 1-0 advantage to Denmark after Keira Walsh’s second half rocket from 30 yards finally beat a tough and organised Brondby side.
It was Walsh’s first ever goal for City and rewarded City’s persistence against their experienced European opponents.
City had regularly fallen foul of the Brondby offside trap as they struggled to make their dominance count and were denied a certain goal by a clearance off the line when Jane Ross had rounded the Danes’ keeper Katrine Abel while the visitors might have scored themselves when Louise Kristiansen’s shot took a deflection.
Steph Houghton denied Brondby players shots on goal as neither side carved out a real chance in a tight opening period.
City had flashes of brilliance through Toni Duggan and Walsh while Izzy Christiansen’s energetic running kept City ticking over but there was little fluency as loose passes released the pressure that they had built up agains their visitors.
City were defied by the offside flag as much as their own loose passing in cold conditions at the City Football Academy.
Toni Duggan’s corner in the 25th minute was flicked up into the air by Lucy Bronze and beaten away from under her bar by Katrine Abel in the Brondby goal.
Brondby were occasionally dangerous on the break and Louise Kristensen’s 29th minute shot took a deflection and had Karen Bardsley scrambling to get the loose ball away from goal.
City’s Izzy Christiansen looked to be through on goal after Duggan put her through towards the end of the first half but a heavy touch took the ball out of play. It was one of those games.
There was more urgency from City in the second half and City caught Brondby on the hop in the 55th minute when Walsh beat the visitors’ well marshalled offside trap putting Jane Ross clear on goal.
Ross rounded the keeper only to be foiled on the line by Simone Sorensen.
Ross was denied clear shooting chances by more solid defending from Brondby and Jill Scott’s shot was saved as City took control in the second half.
It took until the 74th minute for the deadlock to be broken and rather than trying to spring the offside trap Walsh went for a long range shot which beat Abel.
Katrine Veja’s last minute lob was tipped onto the bar by Bardsley as Brondby rallied at the end but City fully deserved the 1-0 lead they will take to the return leg in Denmark.