Real Madrid Knocks Man City Out Of Women’s Champions League

Manchester City Women suffered an agonising defeat to Real Madrid to crash out of the Champions League.

Claudia Zornoza’s first-half goal sent Madrid through to the group stage 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-0 win at the Academy Stadium.

Hayley Raso hit the bar and Ellen White had a header cleared off the line as City dominated much of the game.

After a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Spain, City, who reached the quarter-finals last season, looked for an early goal and Steph Houghton headed wide from a corner.

City struggled to contain Real Madrid and the visiting team should have taken the lead just past the half-hour when Nahikari García slotted in after being played through but she was inexplicably flagged offside. Just shy of half-time they took a deserved lead, though. Lauren Hemp got in the way of Babett Peter’s shot but Zornoza whipped a vicious shot in from the right that took a deflection off Shaw as it flew in.

The English side threw everything forward as time ticked off the clock but they were unable to break down Las Blancas. Real Madrid won the match 1-0 (2-1 aggregate) and advance to the UWCL group stage for the first time in their history.