How Manchester City followed aggressive tactical blueprint to beat Barcelona

When Alexia Putellas was substituted in the 86th minute, Manchester City fans, tongue-in-cheek, taunted the two-time Ballon d’Or winner, by replying: “Who?”

City shut down not only Barcelona captain Putellas but also several more of the world’s best players in Aitana Bonmati, Caroline Graham Hansen and Patri Guijarro as they beat the back-to-back Champions League holders 2-0 at the Joie Stadium on Wednesday. It is the first time Barcelona have failed to score in a Champions League group game and only the second time they have lost a match at this stage of the competition.

Gareth Taylor’s players showed different sides of themselves against what he and his captain Alex Greenwood believe are the best team in the world. City were aggressive from the front in their pressing and solid at the back.

Taylor replicated the starting XI and 4-3-3 structure used in City’s 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion late last month in the Women’s Super League, bar one change: Mary Fowler started ahead of Aoba Fujino on the right wing. As with that Women’s Super League game almost two weeks ago, he opted for Naomi Layzell at right-back and switched Kerstin Casparij, who usually plays that position, to left-back in place of former Barcelona defender Leila Ouahabi.

Taylor said he needed “aggressive full-backs”, and Casparij limited Graham Hansen’s threat on the Barca right while Layzell thwarted the attack-minded Fridolina Rolfo on the opposite flank.

City’s intent to be on the front foot was clear from the first whistle.

In the opening minutes, Greenwood was almost too aggressive when she stepped up midway inside the Barcelona half only for Bonmati to spin her and release Graham Hansen. The passage of play ended with the Norway international hitting a post. Moments later, Laia Aleixandri spared City’s blushes with a goal-line clearance after Ewa Pajor pounced on Vivianne Miedema’s underhit backpass.

But City stayed true to their plan and took the game to Barcelona, an unfamiliar feeling for a side who usually dominate their games. They pressed Barcelona’s back line, which prevented the defending champions from progressing the ball.

City won high turnovers leading to attacks closer to goal and were nearly rewarded for their efforts when Lauren Hemp struck the post.

Each member of the City team knew their role and Taylor put his side’s work rate off the ball down to “huge trust”. At times, Hemp would commit to the press, then Miedema stepped up, before Casparij won the ball.

It was Casparij who triggered the move which saw a Jess Park shot palmed away by Cata Coll in the 35th minute. That led to a corner, which Coll did not get a hand to and Layzell poked the ball home for her first senior career goal.

🔵 CIIIIITYYYYYY !!!

Naomi Layzell transforms Joie Stadium into Dreamland, as the hosts lead the European champions.

Watch live for free on DAZN ▶️ https://t.co/dIfKpURfZv #UWCL #UWCLonDAZN pic.twitter.com/L4xL8GoeyN

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“We work on pressing from the front, first and foremost because that’s where it begins,” said Greenwood. “Our press was so, so good.”

City operated with intensity and bullied Barcelona off the ball, qualities noted by Bonmati. “They won a lot of duels,” the reigning Ballon d’Or winner said. “We were not so ready to want this kind of duel.”

Barcelona’s new manager Pere Romeu — Champions League winner Jonatan Giraldez left last summer after that triumph to coach U.S. club Washington Spirit — identified City’s aggressiveness before the game and attempted to use his team’s right side as an outlet.

They were thwarted, however, by Hemp, who caused problems for Ona Batlle at right-back, dispossessed Graham Hansen and nicked the ball off Bonmati and IngridEngen. The England winger made lung-busting runs up and down the pitch and in the second half slid to concede a throw-in rather than a corner with as much determination as she puts into her attacking pursuits.

“We put our bodies on the line,” Hemp said.

Park was relentless, bearing down on Coll, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw muscled past Mapi Leon and her and Miedema’s hold-up play was secure, allowing City to relieve pressure. Yui Hasegawa, meanwhile, spun Bonmati on occasions and intercepted Engen’s passes out from the back.

In the first half, City had 18 touches in the opposition’s box to Barcelona’s six but both sides had three shots on target. City, however, took their chance.

In the second period, Barcelona found spaces behind City’s first line of pressing. They put the home side under more pressure and consequently created more chances. In those 45 minutes, they had 21 touches in the opposition box while City only had three. At times, City unnecessarily invited pressure and Greenwood signalled for composure at the back.

But, on the whole, the hosts kept a tight structure and forced the visitors to shoot from distance.

Bonmati, Claudia Pina and even Keira Walsh, the England and former City midfielder, tried their luck between the 59th and 75th minute but Barcelona’s finishing was not clinical enough. City were second-best in shots overall (13 to 17) and shots on target (four to six) but generated the higher quality chances.

“We knew we would have to weather the storm,” said Taylor.

While the second-half momentum shifted in Barcelona’s favour, in the 77th minute City hit them on the counter with a long ball from Layzell to Shaw, who rounded Coll to double the lead.

🐰 Bunny Shaw doubles City’s lead against the European champs!

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— DAZN Women’s Football (@DAZNWFootball) October 9, 2024

Such an assured performance from Layzell, playing out of position instead of in her preferred centre-back role, was not a surprise to Taylor, who described the 20-year-old as “humble” and “very coachable”. England manager Sarina Wiegman was in attendance — Layzell is on her radar and will be hoping the ankle injury she was helped off with at the end is not serious.

Barcelona are going for a third Champions League in a row, and fourth in five years, and before last night had lost once in eight months — to Chelsea in the first leg of last season’s semi-final — but, as Bonmati said post-match: “We were not at our best. I don’t want to have excuses. Everyone knows my opinion about the league. It’s because we didn’t perform our best and we have to improve.”

Taylor beamed at the fans as he walked across the pitch at the final whistle but he and Greenwood said they will not get carried away.

A fire has been lit on the blue side of Manchester, though.

“We’re not here just to be here, we want to win it,” said Hemp. “We’re going to try and go as far as we can. Nights like this — there’s nothing better. That gives us hunger.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Manchester City, Barcelona, UK Women's Football

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