The Manchester United is 1-0 down against SK Brann after the first leg of the third qualifying round for the Champions League, following a frustrating night in Bergen on Thursday.
The Brann took 77 minutes to open the scoring, after having had only two attempts at goal before the decisive goal. Signe Gaupset executed a free kick that ended with a header from Ingrid Stevenik.
United, which had previously defeated PSV 4-0 and Hammarby 1-0 to reach this stage, could not capitalize on its opportunities despite dominating the match.
Ella Toone had two clear opportunities to put the team ahead, but failed to capitalize. Another three chances for United were wasted in the first half. Although the visitors controlled possession, they lacked effectiveness in the final third of the field.
At the start of the second half, Melvine Malard came close to scoring, but didn’t connect well and Brann cleared the danger.
According to reports, several pairs of Manchester United players’ boots went missing on the trip to Bergen, but the club managed to get replacements in time for the start of the match.
Selma Panengstuen had an active night to keep United at bay. After an initial error in a shot by Dominique Janssen, the Norwegian goalkeeper had to work hard to prevent Jess Park from scoring on the rebound.
Coach Marc Skinner had limited options on the bench due to injuries to Fridolina Rolfö, Rachel Williams, and Leah Galton. In addition, they lost Grace Clinton, who joined Manchester City.
The three incorporations during the summer market have generated concern about the depth and rotation in Skinner’s team.
United will host the second leg at Leigh Sports Village next week. They will need to come back from behind to secure a place in the Champions League, having lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the only other occasion United reached this qualifying phase in 2023.
