Laia Aleixandri was one of seven players to join Gareth Taylor’s side prior to the 2022/23 season. The 22-year-old joined City from Atletico Madrid, winning back-to-back Primera Division league titles with the Spanish outfit.
In her inaugural season in the Barclays Women’s Super League, Aleixandri has made 16 league appearances as well as two Champions League, three FA Cup and four Conti Cup appearances.
And a major strength of Aleixandri’s is her adaptability which has allowed Taylor to deploy the defender on either side of the centre-backs this season with great success.
Sadly, Taylor confirmed Aleixandri will likely miss the rest of the season last month. She was forced off in the second half of City’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal after a late collision.
Prior to her injury, Aleixandri played a key role in City’s league unbeaten run of 14 games in which we conceded eight goals.
It’s City v United in the penultimate match of the Barclays Women’s Super League season, with Gareth Taylor’s side travelling to the Leigh Sports Village on Sunday 21 May.
Kick-off scheduled for 18:45 (UK) with both sides battling for the WSL title.
It promises to be a thrilling occasion, and you can follow all of the action with comprehensive coverage available on the official Man City app.
Our Matchday Centre, offering detailed text updates, stats and analysis across the day, begins at 17:00 – keeping you across everything from the pre-match build-up right through to reaction after the final whistle.
Once the action gets under way, live audio commentary will be made in the app, while those with push notifications turned on will also be alerted to all the key moments as they unfold.
A detailed match report and reaction from the manager and players alike can be accessed soon after the final whistle, while highlights and a full-match replay (available on CITY+ and Recast) will be made available from 12:00 on Monday 22 May.
Captured by Club photographer Tom Flathers, Aleixandri welcomed us into her home to meet her dog and show us her life off the pitch.
View the best images from the shoot via the gallery below!
