2024-11-12 22:13:00
An extremely weakened SKN St. Pölten team slipped into a debacle in the Women’s Football Champions League at FC Barcelona. At the end of the first half of Group D, Austria’s series champions lost 0:7 (0:5) at the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Tuesday evening. After three games, the Lower Austrians are still without a point, the defending champions, who did not have the best line-up, celebrated their second clear victory in a row.
Ewa Pajor (32nd), with whom Austria will face Poland in a duel with Poland for a European Championship ticket at the end of November/beginning of December, initiated the scoring. Francisca Nazareth (38th), world footballer Aitana Bonmati (40th), Keira Walsh (42nd) and Claudia Pina (45th) increased the lead to 5-0 at halftime within a few minutes. Pina then scored a brace with a penalty (52′). Caroline Graham Hansen scored the final point (87th). Next week on Thursday (9 p.m.) there will be another clash in Vienna’s Generali Arena.
Compared to the most recent CL duel with Manchester City, St. Pölten had to give up their entire defense due to injuries. Coach Liese Brancao tried to ensure stability with a five-man chain, but due to personnel problems, this also included a striker in Rita Schumacher and two midfielders in Kamila Dubcova and Anna Johanning. Under these conditions, the SKN team performed well in the first half hour. Vicky Lopez (6th) and Pajor (14th) missed header chances, and Carina Schlüter also excelled at shots from Nazareth (18th) and Pina (28th).
In the 32nd minute the home team’s spell was broken. Pajor slid into a cross from Ona Batlle and hit the corner. From one moment to the next, the order in the SKN defense was lost, Barca combined to create scoring opportunities at will and scored non-stop after a crossbar header from Marta Torrejon (34′). Schlüter was only able to fend off a Bonmati shot for a short time and Nazareth scored. Two minutes later, in a similar action, it was Bonmati who stood correctly and scored.
Goal number four went to Walsh, who scored from 17 meters. Shortly before the half-time whistle, Schlüter misjudged a Lopez cross and Pina acrobatically pushed the ball over the line. Immediately after the restart, Kamila Dubcova was late in the duel with Batlle in the penalty area, and Pina effortlessly sank the penalty.
Afterwards, the great squad quality of the hosts became apparent. In the 57th minute, Alexia Putellas, a former world footballer, came on for Bonmati, who had bandages on her right thigh, as well as top striker Graham Hansen for Pajor. Barca continued to play forward. A Pina cross hit the crossbar (72′), and Ingrid Engen (80′) and Graham Hansen (85′) missed further chances. The latter scored after an ideal pass from Patri Guijarro. Lopez slammed the ball onto the crossbar shortly afterwards (89′). So it was a lower win than the 9-0 home win against Hammarby.
St. Pölten was only able to make two changes because there were no longer any fit players available. With only 29 percent possession of the ball, there was no significant conclusion for more than 90 minutes. After a 0:2 at Hammarby and 2:3 at home after a 2:1 lead against ManCity, there was nothing countable again. The English women also won their third game with a 2-0 win against Hammarby. In Group C, Bayern Munich has not lost any points. The German champions won against Valerenga 3-0.
ÖFB team player Sarah Zadrazil scored the final point with a shot from just inside the penalty area (92nd). It was the 31-year-old’s second career goal in the premier class; she had previously scored once in the league this season. Katharina Naschenweng was still injured. Manuela Zinsberger and Laura Wienroither were not used in Arsenal’s 4-0 win at Juventus Turin. The Londoners hold on to six points.
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#weakened #Pölten #lost #Barca
**Interview Segment with Liese Brancao, Coach of SKN St. Pölten**
**Editor**: Thank you for joining us, Liese. That was a tough match against FC Barcelona. Can you first share your thoughts on how your team performed despite the final scoreline?
**Liese Brancao**: Thank you for having me. Yes, it was indeed a challenging match. We faced significant injuries which certainly impacted our lineup and strategy. I was proud of how the team held itself together for the first half-hour. We created chances, and I believe that speaks to our resilience. Unfortunately, once we conceded the first goal, it was difficult to regain our composure against a team like Barcelona.
**Editor**: Speaking of injuries, how did the loss of key defenders affect your game plan going into this match?
**Liese Brancao**: It was a major setback for us. With our entire defensive line missing, we had to make some tactical adjustments. We tried to implement a five-man defense to shore things up, but it was challenging. Our midfielders and even a striker had to step back into defensive roles, which is not ideal. This led to gaps that a team like Barcelona could exploit.
**Editor**: In the match, Ewa Pajor was able to score early on. How crucial do you think her performance was for team morale?
**Liese Brancao**: Ewa’s goal was definitely a moment of hope for us. It showed that we can compete and score against top teams. Her performance also highlighted her leadership on the field, which is vital as we head into our upcoming European Championship qualifying matches. We need to take that positive energy into our next games.
**Editor**: Looking ahead, with the European Championship qualifiers on the horizon, what are your plans for the team to regroup and prepare?
**Liese Brancao**: We need to analyze this game closely and learn from it. While it’s critical to focus on the disappointment, I believe we have a solid foundation to build on. We’ll address the injuries as a priority. Our next matches will be pivotal, and we need to ensure our players are ready both mentally and physically.
**Editor**: Thank you, Liese, for sharing your insights. We wish you and the team the best of luck in the upcoming qualifiers!
**Liese Brancao**: Thank you! We appreciate the support and will give our all in the upcoming challenges.
