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Manchester City v Real Madrid: Women’s Champions League – live
Manchester City v Real Madrid: Women’s Champions League – live
⚽ Champions League updates from the 8pm BST kick-off ⚽ Live scores | Ballon d’Or power rankings | Email Daniel
LIVE Updated 8m agoDaniel HarrisThu 1 Oct 2026 15.50 EDTFirst published on Thu 1 Oct 2026 14.00 EDTShareKey events- 9m agoHALF-TIME: Manchester City 0-1 Real Madrid
- 24m agoGOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Real Madrid (Caicedo 30)
- 2h agoTeams!
HALF-TIME: Manchester City 0-1 Real Madrid
Madrid have been excellent, moving the ball with speed, purpose and aggression. City have had their moments, but been second-best.
9m ago15.48 EDT45+2 min Wamser into Hasegawa whose cunning flick finds Hemp. Her low cross, though, is behind Shaw, and that’ll be the last meaningful action of the half.
11m ago15.47 EDT45 min We’ll have two additional minutes. Given the two head-bangs and the goal, that feels too little.
14m ago15.44 EDT43 min Fowler slams a hoof into Rose’s phizog, so there’s another pause while she sorts herself out.
15m ago15.43 EDT42 min The corner causes minor confusion, then the ref blows for an infringement that isn’t obviously apparent, and Madrid clear long, playing for half-time.
15m ago15.42 EDT40 min City pin Madrid back and find Shaw inside the box. She holds off Andersson then lays back for Hasegawa, who shoots hard … but Lakrar sticks her swede in the way at cost of a corner. That was excellent and brave defending; unsurprisingly, she needs a minute to recover.
19m ago15.39 EDT38 min Better from City, Fujino spreading for Wamser, who wears a late challenge as the ref signals play-on, and the ball is sent infield and to the edge, where Fowler’s touch … is poor.
21m ago15.37 EDT36 min City need a rethink here. How do Hasegawa and Blinkilde Brown find the ball? And if they can’t, might it be worth Shaw running channels and the midfield pushing up to contest second balls?
22m ago15.36 EDT34 min You’ve got to laugh: with a player able to attack the space in behind, Portugal are scoring goals, Bruno Fermandes combining with Goncalo Ramos to create him a beauty, and they lead 2-1 in Denmark.
32 min Madrid, of course, have el clasico at the weekend. If they play like this, they’ll cause Barca problems.
24m ago15.34 EDTGOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Real Madrid (Caicedo 30)
Blinkilde Brown presses when she shouldn’t and Caicedo runs off her, Navarro able to sticks a simple pass in behind, down the right. Caicedo sets off towards the box, too quick for Blinkilde Brown, and when Greenwood eventually chugs over, she feints to come inside on to her favoured left foot, creating the space to drag a shot into the far corner with her right. Expert work, and no more than Madrid deserve for the way they’ve taken the game to City.
28 min Now City attack, Fujino measuring a lovely loft to the back stick, where Shaw pulls off Andersson, looping a header back the way it came … and Frohms tips over, the corner coming to nowt.
28m ago15.29 EDT27 min Madrid are winning it high and Carruso spreads for Cristobal, who crosses, and though it’s headed clear, Senss is first to the second ball, sliding in to win it – that’s the kind of desire City need to show – and it finds Schroder, so good at finding space, and she turns, shoots … but Yamashita blocks.
31m ago15.27 EDT25 min Our man in the ground, Tom Garry, messages thusly:
double quotation markA lone Man City fan has just sang ‘Sheikh Mansour, my lord, Sheikh Mansour, oh lord, Sheikh Mansour’, to the tune of Kum ba yah. As far as I could tell, nobody else joined in. There has also been a small group of home fans in the corner defiantly chanting about ‘City going down with a billion the bank’. In general, though, the atmosphere is pretty quiet here.
32m ago15.26 EDT23 min Better from City and first flash of Fujino, using her body to turn Senss in midfield; Senss slides off somewhere towards Blackley, Fujino slipping down the near side for Shaw, who turns into a shot … and the ball rears up of Lakrar, allowing Frohms to catch
34m ago15.23 EDT22 min The corner comes to nowt and it’s clear that City have the edge in that department; Greenwood has nailed both of her wide deliveries and, though Madrid are playing the better gear, that might wind up being the key to the game.
35m ago15.22 EDT20 min Madrid are controlling midfield with invention and intelligence – in the way I expected Hasegawa and Fujino to, if I’m honest. But we’ve hardly seen either and, as I type, Linda finds Caruso, whose cross hits Wamser on the back and lands at the feet of Schroder, who spins, shoots low … and Yamashita blocks behind.
38m ago15.19 EDT18 min A long period of Madrid possession, then Senss suddenly injects pace, slipping a fine pass inside Wamser for Navarro, and Schroder is in the middle … but the low cross is just behind her. That’s a let-off for City,
41m ago15.17 EDT16 min Linda intercepts a clearance and lifts a cross-kick out to Athenea … whose control is poor, allowing the ball to dribble behind for a goalkick.
43m ago15.14 EDT14 min This is a terrific contest so far, both sides looking to move the ball and attack at speed.
13 min Looking again at Fowler’s header, she got slightly under it, sending the ball on an upwards trajectory. Had she got over it and made that contact, it was in.
45m ago15.13 EDT11 min City have settled and win a corner, Greenwood’s delivery again excellent and Wamser’s shot blocked.
46m ago15.11 EDT10 min Greenwood swings a beauty out to the back post, Fowler up way above Caruso, and her contact is perfect, brow meeting ball and sending it hurtling against the crossbar, down … on to the line … and out. Goodness me, I can’t believe that didn’t find its way into the net.
8 min City build from the back, Madrid allowing them time before pressing when the ball comes into midfield. A flick from Hemp, though, and Wamser is away, finding Shaw out on the left, and Senss knocks her over. Free-kick City, Greenwood to take.
49m ago15.08 EDT7 min Madrid continue knocking it about, but a pass in behind from Sess asks too much of Jacinto, running behind.
51m ago15.07 EDT5 min Back come Madrid, Linda winning a corner off Rose; they’re moving it quicker than City, who are looking to be a little more patient. Anyhow, the corner goes shot and, when the cross comes in, Shaw heads Caruso’s cross away and Jacinto butchers high.
52m ago15.05 EDT4 min Madrid are moving it quickly and confidently, making City chase. But then they give it away and Shaw holds, finding Blinkilde Brown. Then, when the cross comes in, a ricochet sees the ball loop up, but Shaw can’t quite get her head on it.
54m ago15.03 EDT2 min Madrid are taking it to City, Linda running at the defence before losing possession. Already, there’s a good tempo to proceedings.
55m ago15.03 EDT1 min Immediately, Wamser sells Greenwood short, and Schroder, espying Yamashita off her line, snaps a rising shot from out on the right … which flies high. It was a difficult chance but, at the same time, if it’s on target, it’s in.
1h ago15.01 EDT1 min Away we go!
1h ago14.56 EDT…and here they come!
1h ago14.55 EDTOur teams are tunnelled…
1h ago14.50 EDTThose Madrid outfits and accessories. I can’t say I love the strides.
So where is the game? City will, I think, look to dominate in midfield, moving the ball quickly with the full-backs opffering width, especially on the right, and Shaw constantly challenging the last line, but peeling off for aerial crosses.
I doubt Madrid think they’re able to beat City at City’s game, so they’ll look to counter, keeping their front three up the field; the question is how they get the ball to them. But if they can, they’ll look to play into Schroder, with Linda and Athenea running off her, so she can spin and race into the box.
1h ago14.43 EDTOh my days, Inter have just equalised in the final seconds of injury time. FAK deserved a point or better against Chelsea, and this is a proper sickener.
1h ago14.35 EDTWe’re playing injury time in the two early games, in which it’s Austria Wien 1-0 inter and Køgø 5-1 Servette.
1h ago14.31 EDTCity look to have the edge over Madrid in midfield, the invention of Hasegawa and Fujino backed up by the industry of Blinkilde Brown. I’d expect Senss, Jacinto and Caruso to play closer together, to avoid being passed around, but they’ll also need to spring to begin attacks; not an easy balance to strike.
2h ago14.22 EDTI’m really looking forward to the battle between Casparij and Caicedo. I reckon City will want Casparij to get forward and see if Caicedo will follow her, or cheat by staying upfield. If she has the run of the right flank, she can stand crosses up for Shaw, and I’d fancy her against the Madrid defence.
2h ago14.16 EDTTwo changes for Madrid too, Athenea and Silvia Cristobal coming in for Janou Levels and Lotte Keuklaar.
2h ago14.13 EDTCity make two changes to the side that drew at Bayern – they rested players for the 1- win at Charlton last weekend – with Sam Coffey and Beth Mead replaced by Mary Fowler and Laura Blindkilde Brown.
2h ago14.10 EDTTeams!
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Yamashita; Casparij, Rose, Greenwood, Wamser; Blindkilde Brown, Hasegawa; Fowler Fujino, Hemp; Shaw. Subs: Cumings, Moorhouse, Clinton, Mead, Coffey, Charles, Beney, Prior, Lewis, Burdon.
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Frohms; Eva Navarro, Lakrar, Andersson, Silvia Cristobal; Arianna Caruso, Senss, Andreia Jacinto; Athenea, Schroder, Linda Caicedo. Subs: Laia Lopez, Noemi, Pau Comendador, Keukelaar, Dabritz, Bruun, Beerensteyn, Maria Mendez, Irune Dorado, Angeldahl, Holmgaard, San Martin.
2h ago14.05 EDTElsewhere, the PSG hoodies are a belting shade of blue; I’ll investigate photos presently.
2h ago14.03 EDTMadrid have turned up with team-issue Louis Vuitton gear, apparently. In the Disney studio, they’re impressed.
“Business as usual,” reckons City manager Andree Jeglertz, which is not the usual way of describing a Champions League tie with Real Madrid. However, though it remains unknown whether the, er … turmoil affecting the men’s side will transfer to the women, these are not usual times.
But football never stops, and this match should be an absolute rip-snorter. City, of course, were the club to finally break Chelsea’s absurd streak of six WSL titles on the spin and, with a front three of Beth Mead, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp, served by Aoba Fujino and Yui Hasegawa, they’ll take some stopping.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich almost managed it on matchday one, taking a two-goal lead and succumbing to a draw thanks only to an 86th-minute equaliser – and they did not have Linda Caicedo in their XI. The Madrid forward is a wonderful player of practicality and fantasy, good enough to dominate or settle any game; for her team to win, she’ll need to be at it, but there’s every chance she is.
Kick-off: 8pm BST
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