Manchester United falls to Brann in the Champions League: a match full of setbacks
Manchester United is at a disadvantage after the first leg of the third qualifying round for the Women’s Champions League, losing 1-0 against SK Brann. The match, played in Bergen, Norway, was marked by several incidents, including the loss of boots by several players on the team. A Manchester United spokesperson confirmed that the club managed to secure replacement boots for its players before the start of the match. On the field, Brann managed to break the tie in the 77th minute. Signe Gaupset, with a free kick, and later Ingrid Stevenik, with a header, scored the decisive goal. United had overcome PSV with a score of 4-0 and Hammarby by 1-0 to reach this stage. Despite dominating much of the game, the team did not capitalize on their opportunities and will now have to come back in the second leg.Naalsund, originally from Bergen, mentioned that her mother provided her with the boots she used in the European Summer Championship. “It was worse for many of her teammates. It’s not ideal for someone to have to play with new shoes. We would prefer to avoid that happening,” she added. Ella Toone had two clear opportunities to put the team ahead, but she failed to capitalize on them. In the first half, three other clear chances were wasted, and although United maintained control of the ball, they lacked effectiveness in the final third of the field. At the start of the second half, Melvine Malard came close to scoring, but failed to connect well with the ball, and Brann cleared the opportunity easily. Selma Panengstuen, the Brann goalkeeper, had an outstanding performance to keep United at bay. After an initial attempt by Dominique Janssen, Panengstuen worked 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, the team suffered the loss of Grace Clinton, who joined Manchester City, while Park joined United. The arrival of three new signings during the summer has raised concerns about the depth and rotation of Skinner’s team. United will play the second leg at Leigh Sports Village next week. They will need to come back from behind to secure their place in the Champions League for the first time, after losing against Paris Saint-Germain on the only occasion United reached this qualifying stage in 2023. Skinner stated: “There was no lack of confidence tonight, but there was a lack of quality in the final moments.” “We need to be really effective and, if we are, we will win the match. We should have been more forceful, and we know that as a group. We will focus on that and be ready to fight on all fronts next week.” If United fails to advance in this tie, they will have to settle for the second qualifying round of the Europa League.Some boots went missing. We still haven’t figured out where they are. It was right before going to the stadium, so there was a bit of chaos.
Lisa Naalsund, Manchester United player
