'Right up there' - Manchester City make history as Champions League warning sent

It is a night that will now forever be etched into Manchester City folklore. The season is still in its most formative stage, with months of twists and turns to come before any major honours are dished out, and yet Gareth Taylor's side have already offered a tantalising glimpse of what is possible.

When the UEFA Women's Champions League draw was made in Nyon last month, City vs Barcelona was immediately earmarked as one of the most compelling group-stage match-ups. And the first meeting between the pair in front of a record crowd at the Joie Stadium on Wednesday night certainly did not disappoint, with the hosts running out 2-0 winners against the reigning European champions.

"The performance in the first half especially was top," City boss Taylor said after the game. "We knew at some point we would have to weather the storm and we did that tremendously well. I felt we could have been 3-0 or 4-0 up in the first half due to the opportunities we created and the pressure we put on them."

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While the Blues could have perhaps won the game by a greater margin, Wednesday's performance and result will surely have defied the expectations of even the most ardent of City fans. It had been a nervy start for the hosts in east Manchester, with Norway international Caroline Graham Hansen hitting the post before Laia Aleixandri was forced to hook Ewa Pajor's effort off the line.

But Taylor's side rallied well, coming close when Lauren Hemp's strike rattled the woodwork, while the industrious Jess Park forced Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll into a fine save. The breakthrough came in the 36th minute via the most unlikely of sources; defender Naomi Layzell who, before Wednesday night, had never scored a senior goal and only a few months ago was plying her trade for relegation-bound Bristol City.

“In her second Champions League game, scoring and assisting against Barcelona while out of position - unbelievable," Taylor said of the young centre-back, who has been deployed as a full-back for City so far this term. “It is special, and I think if you know Naomi you’d probably say it doesn’t surprise you."

Layzell had looked slightly overawed in the opening stages, though it was perhaps no surprise considering the 20-year-old was facing a Barcelona team comprising - amongst other big names - two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, current Ballon d'Or holder Aitana Bonmati and England's midfield metronome Keira Walsh, who played for City for eight years before joining the Catalan giants for a world-record fee in 2022.

Like the rest of her teammates, Layzell grew into the game and the Blues were good value for their slender lead at half-time. After the restart, though, Barcelona unsurprisingly began to turn the screw, with Bonmati, Walsh and Claudia Pina all going close to finding an equaliser.

However, the City rearguard stood strong and, just when it looked as if the Catalans' pressure was about to tell, Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw landed the killer blow, the talismanic striker finishing coolly past Coll to secure a momentous victory for the Blues.

It marks the first time Barcelona have failed to score in a Champions League group game and only the second time they have lost a match at this stage of the competition. The Liga F outfit are bidding to win their fourth European title in five years this term and, before Wednesday night, had lost just once in eight months.

As far as statement wins go, it was a pretty significant one for City, with Taylor conceding the game is "right up there" as one of the best evenings of his four-year tenure. "We have taken a step forward tonight," he admitted. "We are super-honoured to be in the competition and enjoying the journey."

That journey, of course, is only just beginning. But for City - a team who have been exiled from Europe's premier club competition for three years - it is a very impressive start indeed.