Article body analysed
Claudia Pina, Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas cement Barcelona as group winners in dominant display Thank you for joining me for this match. Barcelona show why they are defending champions with an utterly stunning and dominant 3-0 win over Manchester City. A lack of squad depth and being outplayed meant the English club relented their spot at group winners and their flawless win in the competition. But they are through to the quarters and in the running for the trophy. For all the action have a read of Tom Garry’s report below. That is my final live blog of 2024 so thank you all for reading along with me this year. Have a great Christmas and I will see you in 2025. Arsenal vs Bayern Munich will kick-off at 8pm GMT, make sure you keep an eye out for our match report which will bring you all of the news from the top-of-the-group decider. The other two clubs in Group D kicked off at 5. 45pm GMT too. Hammarby came away with a 2-1 win over St Polten with Cathinka Tandberg and Julie Blakstad scoring. Kamila Dubcova scored the consolation for St Polten. The draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place on 7 February. All eight teams have already qualified for the quarters with Man City, Barca, Wolfsburg, Lyon, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Bayern Munich progressing. Of course City will be disappointed with that loss, especially as it comes after they lost 2-1 to Everton in the WSL last weekend so they go into the Christmas break with back-to-back defeats, but the consolation for them is they are already through to the last eight. Barcelona top Group D after a dominant 3-0 win over Manchester City. Claudia Pina broke the deadlock just before half-time and Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas added goals to ensure they topped the group. City proved Barca are not invincible with their win over them earlier this season but this game highlighted their ruthless nature when they need to employ it. They remain firm favourites for the title. 90 + 3 min: Wow, Lopez has her hands on her heads as she knows she should have turned that in. Rolfo passes a peach of a ball to her but the resulting effort is over the bar. Putellas is the next to have a shot but it’s wide. 90 + 1 min: There will be four minutes added. 90 min: This result will not only move City to second in the group but it will end their perfect Champions League run so far this season. They had won five from five until now. They look to get back into this one with City in the box but Coll makes a great save on a Murphy shot. 88 min: Tonight just isn’t Pajor’s night is it? She has had so many chances but she just can’t turn it in with her latest chance is over the bar. Barca make another change with Lopez on for Bonmati. 86 min: City get into the area and Murphy was strongly challenge by Leon, City wanted a penalty but it isn’t given. On the replay it looked as though the decision could have gone either way and there is no VAR in operation. 84 min: Pajor is judged offside as Barca try to peel forward once again. I think those calls from the officials tonight have been inch-perfect, really great work from the assistant referees. 83 min: 29, 007 fans are in tonight, a great crowd for a great game. 82 min: Some good attacking play from City with Murphy finding Fujino who wins a corner. Before it can be taken Coombs is brought on for Park. The corner delivery is good but Coll reads it perfectly to pluck it out of the air. 81 min: Right back to some match action, which has seen Barca hold on to the ball and running the clock down in the past few minutes, and the hosts are passing between their defenders. They slowly work it through the team but a long pass forward is mopped up by City. 79 min: A top spot in the group doessecure you an ‘easier’ ride in the quarters as you are drawn against a team who finished runner-up in their group. But the competition in the tournament this season is so high I don’t think there is an easy opponent. Chelsea and Lyon have topped their group and Barca look as though they will too. Arsenal and Bayern Munich battle at 8pm GMT to decide the final group winner. 77 min: It is honestly just a joy to watch Barcelona play football, it’s just utterly stunning. That last cross less so but only because Pajor did not have any teammates in the box. 75 min: A poor decision from Park there as she tries to find Murphy but she was in an offside position so she didn’t pick it up and Barca are able to clear. City just have not been able to get any foothold in this match. Barca make more changes with Walshand Paralluelo for Rolfo and Nazareth. 73 min: Patri spots Keating off of her line and tries a long effort to try and lob the keeper but she reads it well to collect. 71 min: The crowd are now chanting “Alexia, Alexia” and no wonder after that goal. This could become an embarrassing result if City can’t stop the goals. Just before her goal, Putellas had lofted a ball into the area which City scrambled clear. Park then lost out and Putellas hit an effort from outside the box, Keating didn’t even move and the Barca legend ran away celebrating. What a player. She has only just come on. Elite. 68 min: Barca make their first change with Pina off for Putellas, City’s evening does not get any easier – just a two-time Ballon d’Or winner joining the game. 66 min: Wow that should have been the third goal from Bonmati. It came to her in front of an almost open goal but her effort hits the crossbar and bounces back out. 65 min: Ouahabi passes a loose ball to Keating and the goalkeeper’s only choice it to pelt it into the stands which only gifts a great opportunity to Barca. The hosts work it into the box but Ouahabi clears. 63 min: Since the second goal has gone in, while Barca are still creating chances, they are taking more time on the ball and building more patience in their attacks. Some game management slightly coming into it already as they know they have done enough to top the group now as long as they do not concede. 61 min: City make their first change of the evening with Murphy on for Blindkilde Brown, a young exciting academy product enters the fray. 59 min: Remember now Barcelona have scored two goals they leapfrog City to top of the group. City now have to score if they want to finish top, a tall order with the limited chances they have had. As soon as she timed her run perfectly and went racing towards goal I said outloud “she is going to score”. Ouahabi got back well but the star girl nutmegged Keating to score. There it is. 57 min: Oh hello, could City be in here? No. Fowler finds Fujino but she is judged offside. 56 min: Fowler, who is doing a lot of work on and off the ball in this fixture, does well to dispossess Pina in the box but it isn’t long before the Spanish side win possession once more. The goalscorer Pina takes another punt but Keating saves. 54 min: Pajor wanted a free kick there after a strong tackle from Aleixandri but it is play on. City have been able to disrupt the hosts’ flow a little more in the past few minutes. 52 min: The Barca fans boo as the treatment takes a little while but I think she is okay to continue. Yes, she is back to her feet. 51 min: Keating is down here and this time it looks like she in in some pain. The goalkeeper came out of the area to clear a poor backpass and she is clattered by Pajor. 50 min: Bonmati has some great footwork (when doesn’t she? ) to find Pajor but Keating makes another good save and concedes a corner. Leon delivers well but the effort from Walsh is wide. 49 min: Wow, Pajor was an inch away from scoring there. A storming run from Paralluelo saw her pop in a cross and it just evades the Polish international. 47 min: Barca start so quickly, 20 seconds into the second half and Pina has a shot on target. Keating saves but my word they want to get the job done here. Here we go then. City need to score one more goal and not concede to top the group or City will remain top. Have a read of our latest weekly women’s football newsletter, Moving the Goalposts: Barca’s Esmee Brugts said before heading into the dressing room: “This is football, sometimes you need a little bit of luck. I think we are dominating. They didn’t know what to do after 15 minutes and the goalkeeper sat down which is a compliment for us. ” Well City’s defence had been largely impressive under the huge pressure Barcelona were putting them under but it eventually cracked from a beautiful Claudia Pina stike. City have looked dangerous at times though with Jill Roord coming closest. As things stand City still top the group. 45 + 1 min: There will be two minutes added, I was expecting a lot more. The move started with some beautiful football from Brugts. She passed to Bonmati who couldn’t control but it fortunately bounced to Pina who smashed it. Great goal. That has been coming. 43 min: The ball keeps finding Pajor in the box but she can’t execute her shots effectively just yet as another attempt is saved by Keating. 41 min: Keating. That is the post. She has had a great time when faced with shots from Barca, I really thought Pajor was going to score that after she timed her run so well. Keating pushed it behind for a corner. The delivery is poor and Fowler clears. 39 min: Every time Keating is one the ball she is booed by the crowd after the tactical injury timeout she took earlier in the game. The referee did walk over to her at the time to tell her it will be added on at the end of the half so I’m preparing for at least three or four minutes injury time. 37 min: It won’t surprise you when I tell you that Barca have had the lions share of possession in the past few minutes but City’s defence have been resolute and they are now enjoying some frontfoot ball. Fujino gets it in the box but Paredes clears, it comes to Roord and she rattles the crossbar. Wow, that is the closest City have come. 35 min: Barca opt for a short corner again, they aren’t very effective and Roord clears it. Barca’s set pieces have not been the best in this match so far. 34 min: Barca take the corner short but eventually it comes into the area, initially cleared by Fowler but it comes to Brugts who launces a powerful strike and Keating makes an amazing save once again. It does go behind for a corner. 32 min: The longer City keep Barca out the happier they will be. Even if the English club lose 1-0 tonight they will stay top of the group as when the top two have the same amount of points it comes down to the goal difference in the fixtures they play against each other, City beat Barca 2-0 in the reverse fixture in October. Back to action and Barca are attacking once again and they win a corner. 31 min: Walsh is fouled by Roord and so Barca have a free kick. Pina delivers the ball and Pajor tries to keep it alive but it goes out for a goal kick.