Manchester City will face Champions League as Minimum Standard”>St Polten
in Vienna on Wednesday evening in the Women’s Champions League. Last week, City secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Barcelona, showcasing their strength in the group stage. Despite a close call at Anfield on Sunday, Bunny Shaw’s brace ensured another domestic triumph for City. St Polten, the nine-time Austrian Frauenliga champions, suffered a 2-0 defeat to Swedish side Hammarby in their first match of the competition. Although they have dominated domestically this season, St Polten had to work hard to reach the group stage after facing teams from Azerbaijan, Albania, and Slovenia in qualifying rounds. They haven’t made it to the knockout rounds of the UWCL since 2021.In terms of team news for St Polten, Ella Touon will be absent due to a knee injury. Manager Celia Brancao may make some changes from their weekend victory and could include Sophie Hillebrand and Sarah Mattner-Trembleau back into the starting lineup alongside Tea Vracevic.
For Manchester City, Naomi Layzell sustained an injury during last week’s win against Barcelona and missed Sunday’s match at Anfield as a result. It is unlikely that she will feature in Vienna. Vivianne Miedema also missed the weekend game and is uncertain for Wednesday’s match pending assessment before City travels. Risa Shimizu and Sandy MacIver are out with long-term ACL injuries.
The predicted lineup for Manchester City against St Polten is Yamashita; Casparij, Aleixandri Greenwood Ouahabi; Park Hasegawa Roord Fowler Shaw Hemp.
City displayed impressive form on Matchday 1 and firmly believe they are one of the best teams globally. Their aggressive pressing was instrumental in their success against Barcelona last week and it is expected that an inferior St Polten side will struggle against City’s relentless pressure without possession of the ball.