The 2020/2021 FA Women’s Continental League Cup gets underway later today with 22 clubs from the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship contesting the opening round of group matches.
Ahead of the start of the competition, we have analysed each of the six groups. Here are our thoughts on Group E, a three-team group which contains top flight side Birmingham City along with FA Women’s Championship clubs Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City.
Birmingham City will go into their FA Women’s Continental League Cup campaign with real caution. In the competition’s only three-team group, they come up against one of the FA Women’s Championship’s promotion favourites Leicester City, a club operating as full-time, and a youthful but promising Blackburn Rovers side. The Blues have the benefit of taking on Leicester City on home turf which is a plus. As a team, Birmingham City are not quite there yet under new head coach Carla Ward’s stewardship, however, the signs are extremely promising at the SportNation.bet Stadium, the Blues are improving with every game. They should have just about enough to qualify.
Blackburn Rovers manager Gemma Donnelly made a calculated gamble in the summer in bringing in some youngsters who had not benefitted from regular football with Barclays FA Women’s Super League clubs. Rovers will need time to find their feet this season but they already have their first win under their belts and are moving in the right direction. Their young players will be excited to showcase their talents against full-time sides but will they be able to rise to the challenge?
Leicester City are a club who want tier one football and in reality, are likely to achieve their dream in the next few years. They have a chance to put down a real marker by qualifying from their FA Women’s Continental League Cup group. Their recent clash with Manchester City in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup quarter-finals highlights the fact that the club can rise to big occasions and Birmingham City will need to beware. The Vixens are going places and will go very close in Group E for sure.
Gameday One Fixtures
Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City
Predicted group winner: Birmingham City
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