MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 0, ATLETICO MADRID 2 (Atletico Madrid Win 3-1 on aggregate)
After reaching successive semi finals in the Women’s Champions League the Blues fell to a Spanish masterclass by Atlético Madrid and went out at the first stage of this season’s competition.
First half goals by Silvia Mesegeur and Ludmila da Silva left City facing a mountain to climb after escaping Madrid with a 1-1 draw from the first leg of the Round of 32 but, despite hitting the woodwork several times and having a late goal ruled out for offside, City could not respond to Atlético Madrid.
The visitors were nominally behind on the away goals rule at the start of this game but soon turned up the heat in the City Football Academy Stadium with a first half masterclass of Spanish football.
City were already on the back foot when Angela Sosa’s right wing cross evaded the statuesque City defence and was converted by Mesegeur after just 4 minutes.
City captain Steph Houghton had extended treatment for an injury shortly after that blow but that proved only a brief respite from Atleti’s all action game.
City had found themselves being pressed high by the visitors who pressed hard from the start.
Amanda Sampedro shot wide when teed up by the excellent da Silva when city lost the ball in their own area – not the first time nor the last time that City players were second best on the night.
Atlético looked fitter, faster, stronger and bigger than City, cutting down passing angles without the ball and hunting the home side in packs.
Their incisive passing meant that City were chasing shadows and when they had the ball Nick Cushing’s team simply could not create many clear chances – limiting them to tame set pieces and long shots which – granted – might have gone in on another day.
City lacked the movement off the ball to present options and Atlético hunted the ball down in packs, passing it crisply around City who by their own high standards kept giving the ball away.
They were limited to set pieces and a 23rd minute shot by Georgia Stanway that was palmed against her own bar by Dolores Gallardo.
Second goal for Atletico Madrid kills off Manchester City Women
The visitors got a deserved second goal when Da Silva finally got the goal her work rate had deserved after running onto a flicked header and racing deep into the city half.
Da Silva had been a threat all night and skipped a challenge by Stanway and raced past Houghton before smashing the ball past Karen Bardsley in the City goal.
City now needed three goals to progress and Tessa Wullaert replaced Melissa Lawley after the break.
Gemma Bonner headed wide from Stanway’s corner as City started the second half well but soon lost Lauren Hemp to injury and Jill Scott was also taken off as Cushing sent on Nadia Nadim and Caroline Weir.
Atlético came close to putting the game beyond City when Jennifer Hermoso’s free kick was palmed against her own bar by Karen Bardsley – one of few chances by the visitors who were less adventurous in the second half having exhausted themselves putting City off their stride.
Stanway and Parris saw their long range shots from outside the area tipped over by Gallardo and hit the bar respectively as Atlético tired but despite no lack of application there were few better chances for City to get back into the game.
Jen Beattie thought she had equalised with a header off Weir’s corner only for it to be ruled out for offside and Parris’ shot was blocked by Gallardo while Houghton and Nadim saw header go wide and Weir hit the crossbar for good measure as City exited the Champions League battling till the end.
In the end, the better team won the tie and City will have a job on to qualify for next season’s Champions League with a tough visit to second placed Birmingham City coming this weekend.
MATCH STATS – Man City Women 0, Atletico Madrid 2 (Atletico win the tie 3-1 on aggregate)
Man City Women: Bardsley, Bonner, Houghton, Beattie, McManus, Walsh, Scott (Weir 59), Stanway, Parris, Hemp (Nadim 57), Lawley (Wullaert 46)
Man City Women Subs not used: Roebuck, Jans, Emslie
Booked: Stanway, McManus
Atlético Madrid: Gallardo, Robles, Aleixandri, Lingard, Kaci, Sosa (Tounkara 89), da Silva (Garcia 77), Sampedro (Gonzalez 84), Menayo, Meseguer, Hermoso
Atlético Madrid Subs not used: Rodriguez, Silva, Calligaris, Falcon
Booked: Aleixandri
Goals: Mesegeur 4, Da Silva 45
Attendance: 1,178