Barça 3-0 Manchester City: Group winners!

Job done. Barça Women have finished in first place in the WCL Group D after defeating Manchester City 3-0. With the crowd at the Estadi Olímpic fully playing their part, Pina, Aitana and Alexia scored the goals to ensure the blaugranes will face a second-placed side from another group in the next round, plus the bonus of a home game in the second leg.

There was a real festive atmosphere pre-match and over 29,000 fans were there to will on their side, with several of the squad, including Aitana, presenting their "The Best" awards before kick-off.

Straight out of the blocks

Press high and stop any passes out from the back. A very clear approach that set the tone for the rest of the game, as the blaugranes wanted to win by the two clear goals they needed to finish first in the group. Chance after chance came, with Keating in goal and the City defence standing firm, and perhaps the clearest fell to Esmee, who was having a good game on the left flank, her shot just going over.

Long periods of probing possession characterise this side, but they were finding it difficult to penetrate a City side who were defending well. The clearest chance of the half actually fell to the sky blues as Roord shot from some way out, her strike beating Cata Coll before cannoning back off the crossbar after 34 minutes.

Barça broke the deadlock soon after. Esmee again was involved and a rebound fell just right for the ever eager to shoot Claudia Pina to fire a low shot into the right corner of the net (1-0, min 44). Job half done at the break.

Two more goals from two of "The Best"

More blaugrana goals were likely after the restart, and to somewhat crown recently being named "The Best", Aitana received a pass from Pajor and carried the ball forward, before slotting the ball through the keeper's legs while under pressure from Leila. That made it 2-0 and put her side into first place in the group on goal difference.

As always, they wanted more, and it was another "The Best" who sealed the win after coming off the substitutes' bench to replace Claudia Pina, Alexia shooting a left-footed strike from outside the area past an unsighted Keating (3-0, min 69).

Group D winners

A few more chances came and went, and despite City applying late pressure in search of a goal, the final score was 3-0, bringing a very good group stage to a close for Pere Romeu's side. They probably can't wait to see who they'll get in the next round after putting on such a professional performance, som hi!

MATCH STATS

BARÇA 3
MANCHESTER CITY 0

Barça: Cata Coll, O. Batlle (Jana, Min 87), Paredes, Mapi León, Brugts, Aitana (Vicky, Min 87), Walsh (Kika, Min 74), Patri, Paralluelo (Rolfö, Min 74), Pajor, Pina (Alexia, Min 67).

Manchester City: Keating, Ouahabi, Aleixandri, Kennedy, Casparij, Blindkilde (Murphy, Min 60), Hasegawa, Roord, Fujino, Park (Coombs, Min 81), Fowler.

Goals: 1-0, Pina (Min 44); 2-0, Aitana (Min 57); 3-0, Alexia (Min 69)

Referee team: Jelena Cvetković, Ivana Jovanovic, Aleksandra Kostić. Yellow card shown to Casparij (Manchester City).