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Key events
70 min Hemp’s been excellent in the second half, isolating Lakrar and moving backwards to then spring forwards, her cross picking out Mead … who heads over the top.
69 min I was a little surprised Madrid took of Schroder, but not as surprised as I was that City changed anything – they were dominating.
68 min Madrid send on dorado for Caruso, then the corner comes to nowt.
68 min The changes have, so far, worked better for Madrid, Linda slipping into the box for Caruso, whose shot is blocked behind by a sliding Greenwood.
66 min Caruso wins it high sand feeds Linda, left side of the box, who gets by Coffey on the outside only to fire wide of the far post.
64 min Three changes apiece: City try Mead, Coffey and Clinton for Fowler, Blinkilde Brown and Fujino, while Madrid go Beerensteyn, Dabritz and Keukelaar for Schroder, Jacinto and Athenea.
62 min Wamser into Hasegawa, who lays back for Hemp, and though her shot is blocked, City sustain the attack, Hemp drifting left to stand up a cross that Shaw can’t quite get at.
61 min The ball goes short to Caicedo, who shimmies past her defender with humiliating ease, but her floated cross is flicked away by Shaw, whose work in her own box has been excellent.
60 min Madrid try to take heat out of the game, slowing it down, but they’ve lost all momentum, and I wonder if half-time allowed them to tire. Physically, they don’t look as strong, and without that base, it’s hard to impose technical play. They do, though, have a corner…
58 min Madrid do have the option of playing long into Schroder, but they need players around her if that’s what they’re going to try.
57 min We’ve seen almost nothing of Madrid as an attacking force this half; City are locking on and stopping them from playing.
56 min Blinkilde Brown is an increasing influence, charging through midfield and finding Shaw, who touches off delightfully to Hemp. The eventuating cross misses everyone, but it was a lovely move.
53 min I reckon Jeglertz’s team talk was more about attitude and aggression than tactics and positioning. City were too reactive in the first half, allowing Madrid to dictate the game as protagonists, whereas now they’re playing proactively.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Real Madrid (Shaw 51)
Cristobal clears and Hasegawa snaps into a challenge to win the ball high, before taking it back from Blinkilde Brown and feeding shaw inside the box, right of centre. She has time to turn and does, slapping a shot across Frohms and into the far side-netting, a fine finish. City are asserting themselves physically now, getting to the ball quicker and powering through challenges; they’re much the better for it.
50 min City are, I think, trying to assert themselves physically, inviting duels, and they force the ball out to Hemp, whose cross is deflected into the air and Hasegawa is underneath it, eight yards out … but volleys wide of the near post. That was a chance.
48 min Fujino to Fowler, out to Casparij, whose cross is excellent, but to no one.
47 min Caruso loops a ball over the top and Schroder is underneath it – she’s so good at making sure things fall to her – but her snatched shot is saved, and the whistle then blows for a foul.
46 min What, if anything, will Jeglertz change? Dare City press high, or will that offer too much space to a team adept at finding it?
46 min We go again, no changes to either team.
Elsewhere: it’s PSG 1-0 Leuven.
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.
45+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.
45 min We’ll have two additional minutes. Given the two head-bangs and the goal, that feels too little.
43 min Fowler slams a hoof into Rose’s phizog, so there’s another pause while she sorts herself out.
42 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.
40 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.
38 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.
36 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?
34 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.
GOAL! 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.
27 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.
25 min Our man in the ground, Tom Garry, messages thusly:
A 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.
23 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
22 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.
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