Women's Champions League - 1st Leg
Barcelona FemeninoBarcelona Femenino5Glasgow CityGlasgow City0

Barcelona 5-0 Glasgow City: Women's Champions League thrashing for Scots

By Amy MacBeathBBC Sport Scotland

Glasgow City's Women's Champions League ambitions appear to be over for another season after last year's quarter-finalists Barcelona thrashed them 5-0.

The Scottish champions had only once got past the last 16 of the competition and look likely to have to wait another year to match that achievement.

First-half goals by Kheira Hamraoui, Aitana Bonmati and Patricia Guijarro had the Spanish champions cruising.

After the break, Andressa Alves and Maria Leon added a fourth and fifth.

After being knocked out of the Scottish Cup by title rivals Hibernian at the weekend, City now face a rematch on Sunday as they attempt to claim a 12th successive SWPL title on Sunday.

Barcelona on a different level

City had already navigated a tricky qualifying group including Anderlecht and then Somatio in the last 32 to earn the right to play Barcelona.

And while the Spaniards were without Dutch Ballon d'Or nominee Lieke Martens and started with England international Toni Duggan on the bench, the gulf between the two was evident after a bright start.

Abbi Grant sent an early shot wide but the hosts soon found their composure and the gap between the amateurs - who had 16-year-old schoolgirl Carly Girasoli in defence - and professionals began to show.

The Barcelona attacks mounted and an opening goal was not long coming. Noting City's goalkeeper Lee Alexander was off her line, Hamraoui showed composure to chip the ball over her and into the net.

As the hosts' confidence grew, City tired. Guijarro's strike thundered off the crossbar and Alexander reacted well to sweep aside a Bonmati attempt.

However, the lead was doubled as Alves wriggled clear down the left and cut back to Bonmati, who took advantage of the gaping holes in defence to finish.

And there was more uncertainty moments later when a loose ball fell to Guijarro, who finished clinically.

It became scrappy in the second as City tried to cling on, but the Scots were too open and struggled to hold on to possession while Barcelona pressed.

Insult was added to injury, after Alexander's numerous saves, when the goalkeeper fumbled Alves' shot over the line.

City struggled to find the energy to respond, and head coach Scott Booth made changes perhaps to preserve some of his players for their potential league decider on Sunday.

Substitute Lara Ivanusa brought some spark, but a fifth from Leon made sure any possibility of a comeback was even less likely.

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Wednesday 17th October 2018