Match report: Fiorentina 0-5 Manchester City (Agg: 0-8)
Women’s Champions League: Ellen White and Sam Mewis bagged a brace each as Manchester City booked their place in the quarter-finals with a minimum of fuss. Here’s how Suzanne Wrack saw the action unfold.
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The Champions League quarter-finals: Manchester City join Chelsea, Lyon, Wolfsberg, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Rosengard in the last eight. They’ll almost certainly be joined by Parias Saint-Germain, who lead Slavia Prague 5-0 after their first leg, with the second to be played on 17th March. The quarter-final draw will take place tomorrow.
Full-time: Fiorentina 0-5 Manchester City (0-8)
Manchester City advance to the quarter-finals. In an act of mercy, or perhaps she has somewhere to be, our Swiss referee Esther Staubli doesn’t play so much as a second of added time before blowing ther final whistle. Manchester City have routed their Italian opponents to go through to the last eight. Ellen White and half0time substitute Sam Mewes got a couple each, while Caroline Weir scored from the spot in Florence.
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89 min: Mewis squares the ball from the right but it somehow eludes three of her team-mates who were stretching every sinew to try and turn it home.
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88 min: Mewis fires high and wide after getting on the end of a Chloe Kelly pull-back from the byline.
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87 min: A Georgia Stanway shot takes a deflection, loops up in the air and is gathered comfortably by Schroffenegger.
85 min: Rose Lavelle shows great acceleration to sprint through the middle and play the ball into the path of Sam Mewis. She doesn’t quite connect with her first time shot and fires the ball straight at Schroffenegger in the Fiorentina goal. A good chance wasted.
83 min: On the touchline, Fiorentina coach Antonio Cincotta is absolutely apoloplectic with rage, giving it the full Klopp as he watches his players lose possession cheaply once again. He’s quite an urbane and dapper looking man, but he’s finally erupted with volcanic rage with just seven minutes to go.
79 min: Fiorentina substitution: Stephanie Breitner on for Lana Clelland.
GOAL! Fiorentina 0-5 Manchester City (0-8) (Mewis 78)
Mewes scores again! Woeful from Fiorentina, who give Alex Greenwood free rein to dribble down the inside right. Unselfishly, she elects to square the ball instead of shoot and Sam Mewis fires home from close range in the face of utterly hapless defending. The final whistle can’t come soon enough for these Fiorentina players, who look thoroughly demoralised.
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77 min: There’s a minor clash of heads between Alex Greenwood and Louise Quinn, but both emerge relatively unscathed, bump fists and smile.
76 min: Lana Clelland tries to thread the ball into the path of Martina Piemonte on the edge of the City penalty area. She underhits her pass and it’s intercepted.
75 min: On the plus side, she has an afternoon of giving the ball away against unbeaten Juventus to look forward to at the weekend if selected. They’re unbeaten in Serie A this season.
71 min: A little under 20 minutes to go and the tie has long been over as a contest. Lana Clelland gives the ball away on the halfweay line with a terrible pass, then stares heavenwards and shrugs her shoulders, rather than make any kind of effort to get it back. It’s been that kind of day.
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66 min: City win a free-kick about 40 yards from the Fiorentina goal, but Alex Greenwood curls her delivery to the far post wide. In a bit of a call-back to the recent game between Brighton and West Brom in the Premier League, she originally wanted to take the free-kick quickly but was told to wait for the whistle by referee Esther Staubli. “Why?” asks Greenwood. And you know what? It’s a very good question.
64 min: Manchester City double-substitution: Laura Coombs and Millie Davies on for Keira Walsh and Ellen White. Davies is on for her Champions League debut, so well done her.
GOAL! Fiorentina 0-4 Manchester City (Agg: 0-7) (Mewis 60)
Off the bench and on to the score-sheet. Sam Mewis picks up the ball about 40 yards from the Fiorentina goal and runs unopposed towards the edge of the penalty area. Her low shot is not particularly powerful, but goes through the legs of Tessl Midag and carries on into the bottom corner. In the Fiorentina goal, Schroffenegger saw it very late.
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58 min: Frederikke Thogersen canters through the centre and tries to play a weighted pass in behind for Daniela Sabatino to run on to. The idea is good, the execution less so. Her pass is intercepted and City are back in possession.
55 min: Ellen White elects not to head an inviting cross from the left goalwards, mindful of the fact that in doing so she would almost certainly clatter into the goal-post and possibly do herself a mischief. We’ll give her that act of self-preservation, seeing as her side is so far ahead.
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54 min: Fiorentina substitution: Sara Baldi off, after a quiet game in which she was forced to feed off crumbs. Martina Piemonte on.
53 min: Another City attack breaks down when a heavy touch from Janine Beckie sends the ball running through to Fiorentina goalkeeper Katja Schroffenegger.
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49 min: Fredderikke Thogersen is cwarmed off the ball in the Fiorentina left-back position and City go on the attack again. It breaks down when the Italian side’s Irish international Louise Quinn beats Kelly to a 50-50 ball with a crunching tackle. It was above board, but a nice get-to-know-you for the substitute. She felt that!
48 min: City pick up where they left off - emphatically on the front foot. Chloe Kelly tries to curl a shot goalwards from the left side of the penalty area, but her effort is blocked.
Second half: Fiorentina 0-3 Manchester City (Agg: 0-6)
46 min: Fiorentina kick off, with two changes in personnel in the Manchester City ranks for the start of the second half. Chloe Kelly and Sam Mewis are on for Caroline Weir and Lauren Hemp.
Half-time: Fiorentina 0-3 Manchester City (Agg: 0-6)
Peep! Swiss referee Esther Staubli draws the first half to a close with barely a moment of added time. It’s been a profitable 45 minutes for City, who have doubled their lead from the first leg. Ellen White bagged a brace either side of a Caroline Weir penalty to put the tie well beyond the Italians.
43 min: A good move from Fiorentina on the break, with Thogersen on the ball. She plays it into the path of Sara Baldi in the City penalty area, but under pressure from defenders, Baldi toe-pokes an excellent chance wide of the left upright.
42 min: Stanway gives the ball away cheaply again, but City soon get it back. FIorentina are really struggling to keep hold of the ball on the rare occasions they get it.
41 min: A promising City attack breaks down when Georgia Stanway sends a rogue pass out over the touchline for a Fiorentina throw-in.
39 min: Esme Morgan is very, very lucky to avoid a booking for a cynical tug on Sabatino. Did she teach Fernandinho everything he knows or did he teach her everything he knows?
37 min: Daniela Sabatino is played in behind the Man City defence but the pass from Lana Clelland isn’t quite accurate for her to run on to.
35 min: It’s men against boys in Florence ... except technically, of course, it isn’t. Fiorentina have lost their past three games without managing to score and haven’t looked particularly threatening this afternoon either. City look pretty impressive.
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GOAL! Fiorentina 0-3 Manchester City (Agg: 0-6) (White 32)
City extend their lead. Ellen White makes no mistake, prodding home from the edge of the six-yard box to convert an inch-perfect cross from Lauren Hemp on the left wing.
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30 min: Ellen White ghosts into the Fiorentina penalty area to connect with a terrific cross curled from the right by Rose Lavelle. She hits the sweet spot of the ball, but fires straight at goalkeeper Katja Schroffenegger.
28 min: Despite the ball going out off Ellen White, Manchester CIty are awarded a corner. It’s taken, Fiorentina fail to clear properly and Caroline Weir ends up dragging a shot wide of the upright from distance.
27 min: Another Fiorentina attack, this time down the left wing. Lana Clelland sends in a low cross, which is cleared.
25 min: Fiorentina finally seem to be getting something of a toe-hold in this game and it’s about time, as they need to score six goals without reply to win the tie.
GOAL! Fiorentina 0-2 Man City (Agg: 0-5) (Weir 19pen)
From the corner, Esme Morgan heads the ball against the arms of Martina Zanoli. Referee Esther Staubli points to the spot. Caroline Weir makes no mistake with a well-placed penalty into the bottom corner.
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17 min: Caroline Weir forces a save out of Fiorentina goalkeeper Katja Schroffenegger, who keeps the ball out with her shins. A corner for Man City.
12 min: Fiorentina remain resolutely under the cosh, but finally embark on a sortie up the pitch. Breaking quickly, the move ends with Lana Clelland firing venomously at City goalkeeper Karima Benameur Taib from a narrow angle. The Frenchwoman blocks but fails to hold on to the rasping drive but the ball doesn’t bounce kindly for Daniela Sabatino, who was lurking with intent. Much better from Fiorentina.
10 min: From a Manchester City corner, the ball is played to Alex Greenwood, who curls a cross into the Fiorentina penalty area. It’s headed clear.
GOAL! Fiorentina 0-1 Manchester City (Agg 0-4) (White 8)
Well, that’s been coming. Neat build-up play between Stanway and Lauren Hemp on the edge of the Fiorentina penalty area releases Ellen White. She takes a touch and rifles the ball into the corner from 12 yards out or so.
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8 min: Fiorentina are under siege, their defenders frantically blocking one shot after another from various City players. Janine Beckie is the latest to have one stopped.
7 min: Ireland’s Louise Quinn clears for Fiorentina after a heavy touch from Ellen White en ro0ute to the edge of the penalty area.
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6 min: It’s all City in these early stages, with Fiorentina struggling to get even a foot on the ball, let alone make any progress into City’s half. On the touchline, the Italian side’s manager, Antonio Cincotta urges his players to calm down and take a breath.
3 min: Greta Adami fouls Lavelle a couple of yards outside the Fiorentina penalty area, almost in line with the right edge. Alex Greenwood goes for goal, trying to curl the ball in with her left foot. Her shot is on target, but Fiorentina goalkeeper Katja Schroffenegger claims the ball comfortably.
2 min: Manchester CIty start on the front foot and Ellen White tries to drill a cross in from the right flank. Her delivery hits a defender but doesn’t quite break kindly for Rose Lavelle, who gets a rare start for City today.
Fiorentina v Manchester City is go ...
1 min: Manchester City get the ball rolling, their players wearing light blue shirts, white shorts and light blues socks. Fiorentina’s wear those delightful purple shirts, shorts and socks.
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Not long now: The teams are out on the pitch and line up either side of the team of match officials for the last of the pre-match formalities. Kick-off is just a minute or so away.
The Women’s Champions League: Manchester City are bidding to join Chelsea, Lyon, Wolfsberg, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Rosengard in the last eight. Paris Saint- Germain and Sparta Prague will duke it out for the final spot on 17 March, St Patrick’s Day. The French side already look home and hosed thanks to their 5-0 lead from the first leg. But then, if the PSG women’s team is anything like their male counterparts, Sparta Prague will certainly fancy their chances.
Gareth Taylor speaks ...
Speaking ahead of today’s game, Manchester City’s coach stressed that the tie was far from over, even though it almost certainly is. “People always talk about breathing space,” he said. “But I’ve always said that no tie is ever over after the first game. You’ve still got to go out and do a professional job and make sure you give yourself the best possible chance.
“No matter who I pick tomorrow, we’ll make sure that happens. Sometimes when you’ve got nothing to lose you can see a team come out and be a little bit braver. They could come out and really go for it, so we need to be alive and aware of that and I’m sure we will be.
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Fiorentina v Man City line-ups
Fiorentina: Schroffenegger, Thogersen, Cordia, Quinn, Adami, Zanoli, Vigilucci, Middag, Baldi, Sabatino, Clelland.
Subs: Ohrstrom, Forcinella, Breitner, Monnecchi, Piemonte, Pastifieri, Papi, Mani.
Manchester City: Benameur Taib, Stanway, Dahlkemper, Morgan, Greenwood, Lavelle, Walsh, Weir, Beckie, White, Hemp.
Subs: Roebuck, Keating, Mannion, Coombs, Kelly, Park, Mewis, Davies
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Women's Champions League R16: Fiorentina v Man City (Agg: 0-3)
The beautiful city of Florence is the venue for today’s Women’s Champions League Round of 16 second leg between Fiorentina and Manchester City. The visitors look set fair to advance to the quarter-finals after winning the first leg at a canter, with goals from Lauren Hemp, Ellen White and Sam Mewis giving them a stranglehold on the tie.
Their Italian hostesses will be hoping to spark something of a second leg renaissance and Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor has, in the time-honoured tradition, warned his players against complacency.
Kick-off at the Stadio Artemi Franchi is at 1pm (GMT|) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
