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Wednesday 08 October 2025 22:04
Manchester United began our maiden UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win over Norway’s Valerenga on Wednesday.
Supporters had been eagerly waiting for this day to come and it was a moment to behold as the Reds stepped out onto the pitch in Europe’s elite club competition at the Progress With Unity Stadium.
Maya Le Tissier’s first-half penalty, United’s first ever goal (excluding qualifiers) at this level, made the difference in the end, but it was a dominant performance that bodes well for upcoming games.
Marc Skinner made a single change to the line-up that started last Friday’s WSL draw with Chelsea, bringing four-time Champions League winner Melvine Malard in for Fridolina Rolfo.
Celin Bizet Donnum was cruelly denied the chance to face the club where her career took off due to managing a minor injury.
The UEFA Women’s Champions League anthem was the pre-game soundtrack.
FIRST HALF
United lost 4-1 in the our only other previous encounter with Valerenga – a pre-season friendly in Oslo in 2019 – but it threatened to be a very fast start within the opening 30 seconds, as Elisabeth Terland guided a header just wide.
The Reds continued to dominate the ball, although with the visitors dropping into a 5-4-1 out of possession, finding a way through was proving difficult. Skinner spoke after facing Chelsea about the importance of breaking lines with vertical dribbles, so when Hinata Miyazawa got spotted a gap 15 minutes in she drove through it.
Encouraged to shoot as the space opened up, her effort from just outside the box was too close to goalkeeper Tove Enblom.
Midway through the first half, Valerenga had their first sight of goal, pinching the ball in United territory and Olaug Tvedten – prolific in Norway’s Toppserien this season – forced Phallon Tullis-Joyce into a low save. Almost immediately at the other end, United won possession in Valerenga’s box through Malard, whose right-footed effort was parried by Enblom. Terland pounced on the rebound, only to see her shot cleared off the line by Michaela Kovacs.
When Le Tissier converted from the penalty spot after half an hour, it was a lead United deserved. Julia Zigiotti Olme’s flick struck the arm of centre-back Arna Eiriksdottir, with the VAR official seeing no reason to intervene. After taking a moment to compose herself, the skipper sent Enblom the wrong way.
United have had great success in the WSL so far this season when shooting from distance, and Ella Toone tried her luck with a strike in first-half stoppage time that Enblom was able to grasp at the second attempt.
Maya Le Tissier composed herself before striking the penalty.
SECOND HALF
United tested Enblom again within seconds of the restart, with Jess Park creating an overload on a fast break but not able to beat the goalkeeper, who made herself big. Park carved out our next chance with around an hour played, picking off a cross-field pass, driving towards goal and laying off to Terland on her left. But Teri’s shot was well closed down and blocked.
Just moments later, this time on her right foot, she managed to evade the defenders, yet dragged the attempt wide.
Rolfo, a veteran of this competition with her four previous clubs and a two-time winner with Barcelona, arrived in place of Terland that prompted a slight reshuffle of the forward line for the final 20 minutes, as Malard moved central.
Valerenga battled hard to stay competitive in the game.
Another change soon followed in midfield in a bid to keep control of the contest, as Skinner opted for the fresh legs of Lisa Naalsund, formerly of Valerenga’s great domestic rivals, Brann.
37-year-old former Norway international Elise Thorsnes was one of several Valerenga changes, and she might think she could have done better when played into the United box a few seconds after coming on. The late shot, however, lacked precision and didn’t trouble the goal.
Neither side came any closer to scoring the final stage, despite the visitors briefly threatening to build a last ditch head of steam. It means a seventh clean sheet across all competitions so far this season, while our overall unbeaten start to the campaign also remains intact.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Le Tissier (c), Janssen, Sandberg (George 87); Zigiotti (Naalsund 80), Miyazawa; Park, Toone (Awujo 87), Malard; Terland (Rolfo 72).
Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Blundell, Williams.
Goal: Le Tissier (pen) 31.
Valerenga: Enblom (c); Horte, Kovacs, Eiriksdottir (Pettersen 83); Tennebo, Vickius (Brekken 72), Inauen, Heidarsdottir (Hansen 72); Hegg (Sesay 76), Saevik (Thorsnes 83), Tvedten.
Subs not used: Erichsen, Grinde-Hansen, Aronsson, Bergman-Lundin, Enger, Lindwall.
Booked: Inauen.
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Wednesday 08 October 2025 22:04
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