Key events
37 min: It won’t surprise you when I tell you that Barca have had the lions share of possession in the past few minutes but City’s defence have been resolute and they are now enjoying some frontfoot ball. Fujino gets it in the box but Paredes clears, it comes to Roord and she rattles the crossbar. Wow, that is the closest City have come.
35 min: Barca opt for a short corner again, they aren’t very effective and Roord clears it. Barca’s set pieces have not been the best in this match so far.
34 min: Barca take the corner short but eventually it comes into the area, initially cleared by Fowler but it comes to Brugts who launces a powerful strike and Keating makes an amazing save once again. It does go behind for a corner.
32 min: The longer City keep Barca out the happier they will be. Even if the English club lose 1-0 tonight they will stay top of the group as when the top two have the same amount of points it comes down to the goal difference in the fixtures they play against each other, City beat Barca 2-0 in the reverse fixture in October. Back to action and Barca are attacking once again and they win a corner.
31 min: Walsh is fouled by Roord and so Barca have a free kick. Pina delivers the ball and Pajor tries to keep it alive but it goes out for a goal kick.
29 min: Keating can thank her lucky stars that went wide. The goalkeeper had a sloppy pass and was out of position as Bonmati launched a ball goalwards but it bounces just left of goal.
27 min: How, how, how have Barca not scored there? Bonmati and Brugts had two really good chances but City hanging on for dear life as they manage to clumsily clear.
25 min: City have their first promising attack and they show a glimpse of the danger they have in their ranks. There was a great break and Park was found in a good position but her effort is easily saved by Coll.
24 min: Keating makes a great decision as an excellent long balls finds the perfectly timed run of Pajor but the goalkeeper came out to kick it clear.
23 min: Batlle wins a free kick after a foul from Aleixandri on the halfway line. They work it through the team into a good position but Walsh coughs up possession.
21 min: Breaking news, City have passed the ball in their attacking half. It lasts two or three passes and Barca hem them back to where they want to play again.
20 min: Keating is fine to continue, Barca looked like they had a word with the officials during that break as they want to keep their momentum flowing. The boos only got louder the longer the break in play took.
18 min: I don’t think I have seen City touch the ball in their own half, that is how dominant Barca have been so far. And despite getting a few shots clear, City will be happy to have kept the defending champions at bay. Boos rain down from the stands as Keating goes down and is in need of attention – this might be a tactical move.
16 min: I have just noticed Kennedy’s black eye and on social media a lot of City fans are questioning how she got the shiner. It must have been during training, it looks quite painful.
14 min: Paralluelo is just a cheat code isn’t she? She manages to wrestle the ball back despite being surrounded by City defenders. Many passes later Hasegawa wins it back to clear. The pressure is really cranking up though.
12 min: If I had just won the FIFA Best award for the second year running I too would have attempted that long range shot. However, this time Bonmati’s effort is collected by Keating.
10 min: A lovely ball finds Brugts and her pace creates pockets of space in City’s defence but Ouahabi does excellently to see it out for a corner. The set piece once again comes to nothing but the defending champions are firmly knocking on the door.
8 min: The delivery from Leon isn’t the best and City clear it. It isn’t long before Barca are back on the attack though and Paralluelo, who is starting her first match this season for Barca, has a shot but it is an easy save for Keating. This feels as though it is going to be a long evening for City’s defence.
8 min: Barcelona win another corner as Kennedy sees out a Bonmati cross, Kennedy having a good game so far. The delivery is excellent and Pajor gets a head to it but Keating makes a fabulous save to keep them out. She sees it over the bar for another corner.
6 min: The first corner delivery is sent straight out for another set piece. The second delivery is good and City struggle to get it clear but eventually Australia international Kennedy pings it away from a danger area.
5 min: An error from Keating gives Barca a chance in the final third, the ball comes to Paralluelo who takes a punt but Keating makes up for her mistake with a fine save. She does concede a corner though.
4 min: A lot of possession exchanging hands in the midfield so far so there is not a lot to report from the past few minutes. Neither side looking brighter than the other.
2 min: There is a great crowd in the stands full of Barca fans willing their side to beat City by two goals or more to top the group but there are a few chants of ‘come on City’ that can be heard. Both teams finding their feet so far.
Kick-off! Barcelona 0-0 Man City
Here we go.
The players will out shortly before the Women’s Champions League song is blared out in Barcelona. Can Barca top the group? Or will City see out an unbeaten group stage? All to come.
Read up on all the action from yesterday’s game where Chelsea topped their group:
Wondering how the WSL clubs are ranking now we’ve hit the Christmas break? Fear not. Our very own Suzy Wrack and Tom Garry have shared their opinions. Read it here:
I’d love to hear from you and as this is the last Women’s Champions League action before Christmas it seems fitting to have a festive theme. So any Xmas fun facts or puns are welcome. Mine to share with you is that Noel means birth, I learned that at a pub quiz yesterday. You can get in touch via email: sarah.rendell.casual@guardian.co.uk.
Gareth Taylor said of tonight’s opposition: “I’ve played Barca three times in my time as head coach and been fortunate in the outcome of two of those games but they’ve been different players in those games and what Barca have done in the past few years. I want us to be there, and we have a long way to go. We proved on a special night for us that we can compete and beat one of the best in a long time but the challenge is small steps.”
Barcelona manager Pere Romeu has said his side are ready to fight for the win this evening: “The team wants to play matches like this. The players thrive in these settings and will come out to bite hard from minute one. We hope to have the optimal motivation to face this match.”
Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati won the FIFA Best award on Tuesday, read more about it here:
While City are second in the WSL, Barcelona are dominating Liga F. The Spanish giants are currently 11 points clear of second Real Madrid with 13 wins from 13 games so far this season. It’s not surprising with the amount of talent in their squad, including the FIFA Best winner…
Manchester City are currently without top scorer Bunny Shaw, Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Vivianne Miedema and that is just the tip of the iceberg of their injury crisis. This, along with great tactics from Everton, led to City losing 2-1 to the Liverpudlian club last weekend. The defeat meant they could not capitalise on Chelsea dropping points to Leicester. City currently trail leaders Chelsea by six points in the WSL
The team news is here. Barcelona’s line-up shows their strength in depth with the stars on the bench. Alexia Putellas, who is returning to full fitness, and Caroline Graham Hansen are among the substitutes.
Barca: Coll, Batlle, Paredes, Leon, Brugts, Bonmati, Walsh, Patri, Paralluelo, Pajor, Pina
Subs: Gemma, Roebuck, Jana, Marta, Graham Hansen, Putellas, Rolfo, Nazareth, Vicky, Martina, Engen, Cano
City, meanwhile, have a strong line-up despite their extensive injury list. Notably it is Khiara Keating who starts in goal.
City: Keating, Aleixandri (C), Fowler, Roord, Kennedy, Ouahabi, Park, Casparij, Blindkilde Brown, Fujino, Hasegawa
Subs: Yamashita, Startup, Layzell, Coombs, Prior, Thomas, Murphy, O’Carroll
Preamble
Hello and welcome back to our Women’s Champions League coverage. Tonight we are focusing on Barcelona v Manchester City and the two clubs are vying to finish top of their group.
Both sides have already qualified for the quarter-finals but top spot in Group D is still up for grabs. City are currently top but if Barcelona beat them by two goals or more they will leapfrog them.
In the reverse fixture, City outplayed the defending champions and recorded a 2-0 victory. However, the English club are suffering through an injury crisis which has impacted their form.
We will take a closer look at who is missing for City and what has been said in the build-up to the match shortly but the team news has been announced so stay tuned for updates before kick-off at 5.45pm GMT.
