Teenager Lily Murphy etched her name into Manchester City’s history books, marking her first start for the club with a crucial opening goal in their 2-0 victory over Austrian side St. Pölten in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. The win solidified City’s perfect record in this year’s competition, cementing their position at the top of Group D. Dutch defender Kerstin Casparij added the second goal, ensuring a comfortable victory for Gareth Taylor’s side. However, the triumph was tempered by a concerning knee injury to captain and central defender Alex Greenwood, who was stretchered off in the first half, adding to City’s growing injury list.
Despite dominating possession throughout the first half, City struggled to break down the resilient St. Pölten defense, missing the presence of star striker Khadija Shaw, who was absent due to an injury sustained in training. The breakthrough finally came in the second half as St. Pölten began to tire. In the 56th minute, Japanese forward Aoba Fujino delivered a pinpoint cross that evaded the visiting defenders, finding Murphy perfectly positioned at the back post to slot home her first senior goal. Fujino turned provider again just ten minutes later, delivering a similar cross that Casparij expertly finished, sealing the victory for City.
Murphy, understandably elated after her dream debut, expressed her joy at scoring for her childhood club. The 18-year-old emphasized the team’s dominant mindset and their unwavering desire to win every game, highlighting their ruthless approach on the pitch. This victory sets the stage for a crucial encounter against reigning champions Barcelona next Wednesday. A positive result in that match will guarantee City top spot in the group, further bolstering their Champions League campaign. The performance also underscored the depth of City’s squad, as younger players like Murphy stepped up in the absence of key players.
The match, however, was overshadowed by the injuries to both Greenwood and Shaw. Greenwood’s knee injury appeared serious, adding her name to a lengthy list of sidelined City players that includes Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly, Vivianne Miedema, and Laura Coombs. Shaw’s absence, although not specified, further depleted City’s attacking options, forcing them to adjust their tactics. While the injuries are undoubtedly a setback, they present opportunities for other players to showcase their abilities, as demonstrated by Murphy’s impressive performance.
While Murphy’s goal understandably grabbed the headlines, Aoba Fujino’s instrumental role in the victory cannot be overlooked. The Japanese international consistently tormented the St. Pölten defense with her skillful dribbling and precise crossing. Despite being closely marked, often by two defenders, Fujino’s footwork and vision created numerous scoring opportunities for her teammates. Her two assists, both exquisitely delivered crosses, were the catalyst for City’s victory, highlighting her growing importance to the team.
A detailed analysis of the match statistics further underlines City’s dominance. They enjoyed 74% possession, crafting 14 attempts on goal, four of which were on target. Their passing accuracy was also impressive, completing 770 out of 846 attempted passes, a stark contrast to St. Pölten’s 154 completed passes. The match also highlighted key moments, such as Greenwood’s injury, a crucial saving challenge by St. Pölten’s D’Angelo to deny Fowler a tap-in, and Casparij’s near miss with a header. The individual player ratings reflected the overall performance, with Casparij, Fujino, and Murphy receiving the highest scores.
