United’s Terland Pummels Psv With Treble In Women’s Champions League Qualifying

Manchester United began their quest to suffice for nan Women’s Champions League by cruising to a 4-0 triumph complete PSV arsenic Elisabeth Terland scored a hat-trick and nan midfielder Julia Zigiotti Olme impressed connected her debut.

Terland’s prestigious treble, which was accompanied by a close-range decorativeness from Celin Bizet, guaranteed Marc Skinner’s broadside immoderate shape of European shot because their worst-case script would now beryllium a spot successful nan caller second-tier Women’s Europa Cup. Their aim, however, is to subordinate Arsenal and Chelsea successful nan Champions League and, connected Wednesday’s evidence, they person a beardown chance of doing so.

United will look Hammarby of Sweden aliases Metalist 1925 Kharkiv of Ukraine connected Saturday successful a 6pm BST kick-off successful nan last of their mini-competition successful this 2nd information of qualifying. All 4 sides successful this mini group are playing this week’s ties successful Stockholm, astatine nan 3Arena, pinch Hammarby nan hosts. If United triumph connected Saturday they would look a two-leg knockout necktie successful September for a spot successful nan expanded convention shape of nan Champions League.

Thankfully for United fans, their triumph complete PSV was importantly much straightforward than trying to travel that alternatively analyzable qualifying procedure. The Women’s Super League broadside took full power very early, giving PSV’s players scarcely immoderate clip connected nan shot pinch a well-orchestrated precocious press, and their strategies led to nan opening goal.

The United midfielder Lisa Naalsund, pressing nan PSV defence, capitalised connected a loose pass, intercepted nan shot and slotted an easy walk crossed to Terland, who had abstraction and clip to tuck a bully decorativeness into nan bottommost correct area pinch little than 7 minutes played.

Zigiotti Olme, 1 of nan stronger performers for Sweden astatine Euro 2025 and portion of their broadside that faced England successful a melodramatic quarter-final, is 1 of 2 United summertime signings truthful far, arriving from Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee, and she struck nan station early connected pinch a left-footed effort. It was a clear chance spurned but nan midfielder has each logic to beryllium pleased pinch her energetic and purposeful performance. She looked composed and assured connected nan ball, helped thrust nan squad guardant and was exemplary pinch her activity complaint arsenic Skinner’s squad dominated successful midfield.

Celin Bizet (right) expresses delight aft pouncing connected nan shot palmed retired pursuing Ella Toone’s effort to make it 2-0 to Manchester United. Photograph: TT News Agency/Reuters

It was not agelong earlier it was 2-0, erstwhile Anna Sandberg’s left-wing transverse led to a changeable for Ella Toone, whose effort was saved but palmed only arsenic acold arsenic Bizet, who lifted nan rebound into nan tile of nan net. Eight minutes aft half-time, Terland sewage her 2nd aft a beardown walk from Toone group her up, and nan striker had her hat-trick successful nan 63rd infinitesimal erstwhile she raced done nan mediate and fired location pinch different bully finish.

United, who are taking portion successful this shape of qualifying by kindness of their third-placed decorativeness successful nan WSL past term, were without their 2nd summertime signing, Fridolina Rolfö, who will beryllium retired for 2 aliases 3 weeks pinch a flimsy knock. Also absent were Rachel Williams, Leah Galton and nan England midfielder Grace Clinton, who missed nan travel pinch a “little niggle”, Skinner said, but United made ray activity of this first hurdle connected their travel towards perchance joining Europe’s elite.