Manchester City’s UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final opponents Barcelona prepared for this week’s first leg meeting in Monza with a 4-0 Primera Division victory at Rayo Vallecano yesterday.
The pair will contest the first leg on neutral territory at the Stadion Brianteo on Wednesday before meeting at The Academy Stadium for the second leg one week later.
While Manchester City have a weekend off ahead of the first leg, Barcelona were in league action yesterday as they travelled to the Ciudad Deportiva Rayo Vallecano Campo 5 to face a Rayo Vallecano side who are currently in the bottom half of the Primera Division table. It was to be a relatively easy assignment for Lluis Cortes’ side who ran out 4-0 winners.
Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic scored the game’s opening goal after 16 minutes before Asisat Oshoala soon added a second. Kheira Hamraoui’s effort early in the second half made it 3-0 to Barcelona before Lieke Martens netted a fourth goal late in the game.
Manchester City face a stern test against Barcelona in their quarter-final meeting. The Spanish club have won each of their last 12 games in all competitions while they have kept clean sheets in all of their last 10 games, a sequence which dates back to the end of January.
Gareth Taylor’s side must look to defeat a team that has won each of their last two UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-finals while Barcelona were finalists just two seasons ago.
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