City topple Barcelona in front of record Joie Stadium crowd

Naomi Layzell opened the scoring with her first City goal from a 36th-minute corner to send the majority of the 5,508 supporters in attendance wild.

Barcelona began to pin the Blues back with a spell of pressure, but Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw eased some of those fears when she doubled our advantage with 15 to play.

It was a statement win from City, and a performance that shows we can more than mix it with the best on the continent.

What happened

City knew we would need to be at our best against the reigning European champions, and it was the visitors who started the brighter.

They could’ve nicked an early goal with Caroline Graham Hansen rattling the post after a cleverly disguised run in behind but that chance sprung City to life, with Jess Park almost dispossessing Cata Coll on her line after a high press.

The two teams had sized each other up early on, and City had shown we were more than up for the battle.

Barcelona were struggling with the Blues’ intensity and aggression, as Hemp fired against the post after Vivianne Miedema’s initial effort had been blocked in the 15th minute.

But our Spanish opponents were far from out of the contest, with City thankful to Laia Aleixandri for a heroic goal-line clearance to deny Ewa Pajor soon after.

Gareth Taylor’s side were playing some phenomenal football at the other end though, with another free-flowing move seeing Park force a remarkable reaction save from Cata Coll.

And City would open the scoring from the resultant corner. It wasn’t pretty, but Layzell won’t care one bit.

The 20-year-old was in the right place at the right time to bundle home her first goal from close-range, sending the record City crowd into raptures.

It was just rewards for the Blues, with Yamashita preserving the lead as she saved smartly from Graham Hansen at her near post to see us in ahead at the break.

City were on the hunt again after the break, with Miedema inches from making a clean contact on an Alex Greenwood free-kick inside a minute of the restart.

In a mirror image of the first half, Aleixandri once again put her body on the line to deny what looked a certain goal soon after though, this time from Putellas after Graham Hansen’s cutback.

The undisputed heavyweights of the competition had woken up.

Aitana Bonmati forced another smart save from Yamashita down the goalkeeper’s right as the hour mark approached, before claims for a handball on Alex Greenwood inside the area were waved away.

Barcelona made a tactical switch soon after, with substitute Claudia Pina sending a vicious effort whistling just wide of the post from distance.

Next to test Yamashita was former City midfielder Keira Walsh, but her curling effort with 20 to play was smothered by the Japan international, before our stopper tipped a deflected Bonmati strike over the bar at full stretch.

But after weathering the storm, City delivered the sucker punch.

Layzell added an assist to her memorable evening with a phenomenal ball in behind the Barcelona defence to Shaw.

And the Jamaican duly did the honours, composing herself, rounding Cata Coll and confidently sweeping home the second.

Barcelona continued to press for a route back into the game right until the final whistle, but the damage had been done in one of the most complete City performances under Gareth Taylor‘s stewardship.

How we lined up

Gareth Taylor made four changes from the side who beat West Ham United on Sunday, with Naomi Layzell, Jess Park, Vivianne Miedema and Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw all reintroduced to the starting line-up.

Ayaka Yamashita‘s goal was shielded by a back four of Layzell, Laia Aleixandri, Alex Greenwood and Kerstin Casparij, with Yui Hasegawa starting at the base of the midfield.

Park and Miedema completed our three in the engine room, with Mary Fowler moving out to the right having started centrally against the Hammers.

Lauren Hemp occupied the other wing, with Shaw through the middle.

City XI: Yamashita, Layzell, Aleixandri (Kennedy 90’), Greenwood (C), Casparij, Hasegawa, Park (Roord 79’), Miedema, Fowler (Fujino 80’), Shaw, Hemp.

Subs: Keating, Startup, Coombs, Kelly, Ouahabi, Blindkilde Brown, Prior, Thomas, Murphy.

Barcelona XI: Coll, Leon, Graham Hansen, Putellas (Paredes 86’), Bonmati (Vicky Lopez 86’), Rolfo (Brugts 73’), Pajor, Walsh (Nazareth 86’), Batlle, Guijarro, Engen (Pina 64’).

Subs: Fonte, Jana Fernandes, Marta, Kika, Martina, Roebuck, Cano.

Up next

City are back in WSL action this weekend, facing Liverpool on Sunday 13 October.

Kick-off at Anfield is set for 15:00 (UK) as we aim to stay top of the table.