Match Overview
On Wednesday, Manchester City Women will travel to Austria to face St Polten Women in their second group stage match of the Women’s Champions League. After an impressive win against Barcelona on matchday one, City will look to maintain their momentum against a St Polten side still seeking their first victory in the group stage.
Match Preview
St Polten has reached the final 16 of the Women’s Champions League for the fourth time in five seasons, successfully navigating the qualifying rounds by defeating Neftci Baki and Vllaznia before sealing an 8-0 aggregate victory over ZNK Mura. However, their European journey hit a snag with a 2-0 defeat to Hammarby in their group opener, leaving them needing a strong performance against City to have any hope of advancing.
Having not won any of their last 10 group matches, St Polten is eager to break this streak and claim their first victory in the main draw since November 2022, when they defeated Slavia Prague.
Meanwhile, Manchester City enters this clash on a high, having won seven of their first eight competitive matches this season. Gareth Taylor’s side made a statement with a solid 2-0 win over Barcelona in their Champions League opener, where Naomi Layzell and Khadija Shaw scored the goals. Shaw continued her excellent form with a brace against Liverpool on Sunday, helping City secure a 2-1 victory and maintain their position at the top of the Women’s Super League table.
Recent Form
– St Polten Women: Lost 2-0 to Hammarby; Won 2-0 against Dornbirn; Won 3-0 against Neftci Baki.
– Manchester City Women: Won 2-0 against Barcelona; Won 2-1 against Liverpool; Drew 0-0 with Paris FC.
Team News
St Polten will be without defender Ella Touon due to a knee injury but may see Tea Vracevic return to the lineup after being rested in their recent league match. Manager Celia Brancao could also make changes by bringing in Sophie Hillebrand and Sarah Mattner-Trembleau to bolster the squad.
For Manchester City, Risa Shimizu and Sandy MacIver are sidelined with anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Layzell is set to miss another game due to an injury picked up against Barcelona. Vivianne Miedema’s availability is uncertain as she missed the weekend’s match against Liverpool, but she will be assessed before the trip. Khadija Shaw, in excellent form, is expected to lead the line again.
Possible Lineups
St Polten Women:
– Formation: 4-3-3
– Starting XI: Schluter; Krizaj, Vracevic, Klein, Wenger; Mikolajova, Hillebrand, Dubcova; Madl, Mattner-Trembleau, Pekel
Manchester City Women:
– Formation: 4-3-3
– Starting XI: Yamashita; Casparij, Aleixandri, Greenwood, Ouahabi; Park, Hasegawa, Roord; Fowler, Hemp, Shaw
