Real Madrid’s Weir puts Manchester City out of Women’s Champions League

Manchester City were denied the chance to play Champions League football this season as they fell short against a dominant Real Madrid. Caroline Weir came back to haunt her former side, slotting home the winner at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Real Madrid took full advantage of a home crowd, which cheered them on, and the stands weren’t the only place they dominated. Madrid saw a large part of the ball in the first half in a showdown between two heavyweights of the game. Olga Carmona very nearly got the Spaniards on the scoresheet inside 10 minutes, her volley, which was destined for the top corner, palmed away brilliantly by Ellie Roebuck.

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Only moments later though, Caroline Weir, who spent four seasons at City, put Madrid 1-0 up. The Scottish international left City to join Madrid this season and put her former side behind in only her second match at the club with a skilful finish that would have been all too familiar to her former teammates.

Weir was in audacious mood and tried a long-range chip which didn’t find the net this time, though City fans will remember her pulling off a similar trick against Manchester United last season.

Laia Aleixandri almost drew City back level when a corner fell to her, but she couldn’t head past Misa Rodríguez. The home crowd were making a thunderous noise but City were starting to find their rhythm and confidence, especially down the flanks. But they couldn’t create many chances to get back into the game, with a skilful Madrid midfield shutting them out.

Kathellen Sousa let a haphazard City defence off the hook when she failed to capitalise on an unprotected goal at close range and headed over, to the relief