Manchester Metropolis captain Alex Greenwood is happy by the problem that competing within the Champions League will convey to the membership as they intention to win it for the primary time.
They face Barcelona at dwelling on Wednesday of their opening match in Group D, having failed make it previous the qualifying rounds within the earlier two years.
Metropolis ensured they might keep away from the identical destiny this time round although, with an emphatic 8-0 mixture victory over Paris FC.
The importance of being within the competitors was not misplaced on Greenwood.
“It’s the head to win the Champions League. To win this competitors is one other degree,” she mentioned.
“It’s thrilling. I’m wanting ahead to that. We belong right here, we’ve missed out and been annoyed by that.”
Barcelona have gained the match in three of the final 4 seasons, whereas they have been crushed finalists in 2021-22, dropping 3-1 to Lyon.
Metropolis final confronted the Spanish giants of their final look within the competitors, dropping 4-2 on mixture within the 2020-21 quarter-final earlier than Barcelona went on to win their first Champions League.
Regardless of being knocked out, Metropolis did win 2-1 within the dwelling leg in 2021. Of the workforce that performed that day, solely England team-mates Greenwood and Chloe Kelly stay on the membership.
The brand new @ManCityWomen captain
@AlexGreenwood #UWCL pic.twitter.com/bgWnZjRQXq
— UEFA Girls’s Champions League (@UWCL) September 21, 2024
“I don’t keep in mind it clearly, however I do keep in mind the sport,” mentioned Greenwood.
“Our workforce has modified a lot since then. The way in which we put together is completely different, we glance completely different now and are much more ready.”
One acquainted face who might line up in opposition to Manchester Metropolis on Wednesday is Keira Walsh, who moved from them to Barcelona for a then world-record switch charge of roughly £400,000 in September 2022.
“I might talk about Keira all day, she’s an unimaginable footballer,” mentioned Greenwood.
“What she does off the ball and on the ball, she’s an unimaginable participant. She’s improved and added assists to her sport, hopefully not tomorrow!”
In the meantime, Gareth Taylor believes his membership are about to face the most important problem they presumably might.
“I might say they’re the most effective workforce on this planet, particularly over the interval of the final 4 or 5 years,” he mentioned.
“Barcelona have actually dominated this final three-year interval. By way of that taking the stress off us, in no way. We’ve labored tremendously exhausting to be right here.
“The cream all the time rises to the highest. We need to see the most effective gamers on the most effective stage and that is what it’s.”
