Match Preview: Manchester United Women vs. Atletico Madrid

The primary-ever UEFA Girls’s Champions League knockout part play-offs conclude on Wednesday and Thursday.

Eight groups are competing to affix Barcelona, Bayern München, Chelsea and OL Lyonnes within the quarter-finals, for which the draw is already made with the knockout part bracket set to the ultimate.

On Wednesday, Actual Madrid and Arsenal defend leads at residence to Paris FC and OH Leuven, respectively, then, the next evening, Juventus welcome Wolfsburg with the rating at 2-2 and Atlético de Madrid try and overturn a 3-0 deficit away to Manchester United.

United’s hopes of a constructive begin to their first-ever European knockout part tie got here to fruition when Melvine Malard, Elisabeth Terland and Julia Zigiotti Olme all scored in Spain.

Atleti coach José Herrera summed up the primary leg by saying: “They had been medical and that’s it,” and positively the match statistics recommend the one important distinction between the groups was within the targets scored column. Man United, who beforehand received 1-0 at Atleti within the league part, will defend their lead with a quarter-final place in opposition to Bayern at stake.

The Purple Devils might have missed out on an automated quarter-final berth, however they might have nonetheless been happy to safe a seed playoff spot of their first look within the UWCL most important draw.

Marc Skinner’s facet ought to carry important momentum into Thursday’s first leg, having put collectively a nine-game unbeaten run since dropping 3-0 at residence to Lyon in December’s UWCL encounter. United’s first leg victory was the sixth match in a seven-game successful run that has seen the Reds enhance on their league type, get a headstart on Atleti within the playoff tie, and ebook their ticket to the primary cup ultimate of the season with a 1-0 success in final month’s Girls’s League Cup semi-final in opposition to Arsenal.

The Purple Devils loved a profitable journey to the King Energy Stadium forward of the primary leg, with Julia Zigiotti Olme and Elisabeth Terland scoring in a 2-0 win, placing Man United in second place within the Girls’s Tremendous League desk. They saved tempo with a 2-1 comeback win this previous weekend in opposition to London Metropolis, with Jess Park scoring a scorcher of a aim to maintain her good season going.

United are in good defensive type, with 4 clear sheets within the final six aggressive video games, and can look to make it a clear closeout sport at Leigh Sports activities Village to advance in Europe.

Ella Toone and Leah Galton stay unavailable for choice resulting from hip and again accidents, respectively. Toone can be absent from the newest England squad chosen by Sarina Wiegman due to the damage.

Full-back Jayde Riviere is pushing for a recall after dropping to the bench for Saturday’s WSL win over Leicester.

Fridolina Rolfo and Terland may come into Skinner’s pondering if he opts to change his attacking choices for the European fixture.

Followers in most international locations, together with the UK, can watch the match on Disney+ Premium or tabii. Within the US, followers can watch the match on CBS Sports activities Community or stream through Paramount+.