For the 15th time in a row, and 16th season in total, Glasgow City will play amongst Europe’s elite clubs this coming season. Ahead of Friday’s First Round draw, Craig Edwards looks back at five of City’s biggest European games.
Glasgow City 1-0 BIIK-Shymkent (2021)
Following the restructuring of the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the 2021-22 season, City were placed into a group of four with two semi finals and a final taking place over the course of four days to determine who would make it to Round Two. City were drawn to face Birkirkara in the semi-final and after beating the Maltese side, met an old-foe in BIIK-Shymkent.
The two sides previously met in 2017 with the Kazakh side progressing on the away goals rule but it was to be a one-off tie at Broadwood Stadium this time around. In a tight game with both goalkeepers making important stops, pressure from Priscila Chinchilla on the Shymkent defence allowed her to win the ball deep in the opposing half and place it past the on-rushing goalkeeper and into the back of the Shymkent net. It was the first time City supporters were allowed in to see a European tie since 2019 and it was them who were celebrating come full time as City secured a place in the next round.
Brondby IF 0-2 Glasgow City (2019)
For the second season in a row, City made it to the Round of 16 and were drawn to face Danish side Brondby IF. Following a swap after the draw, the first leg of the encounter took place at the Brondby Stadion in Copenhagen and it couldn’t have started any better for the visitors. Sam Kerr’s shot inside 40 seconds was deflected past Katrine Abel in the Brondby goal to hand City an early advantage.
Just after the hour mark, City grabbed a second when Leanne Ross saw her free kick come off Abel and the ball found its way into the back of the Brondby net to double City’s advantage. The home side threatened but City stood firm to take a two goal advantage back to Glasgow.
Glasgow City 0-2 (3-1p) Brondby IF (2019)
The only defeat on this list but the evening had a dramatic, and from a City perspective, enjoyable end. Halloween often sees scares and frights and City were hoping after a first leg victory in Denmark, there would be no frights at Petershill Park this 31st of October. That was not to be the case.
The first leg lead had evaporated by the time the referee blew the half time whistle through goals from Nanna Christiansen and Frederikke Lindhardt for the Danish side but City improved in the second half and into extra time, arguably looking the more likelier side to win the game but ultimately a place in the Quarter Finals would be decided by a penalty shoot out.
Penalties from Leanne Ross, Eilish McSorley and Jo Love along with three saves from Lee Alexander secured victory for City and a Quarter Final tie against VfL Wolfsburg.
Glasgow City 4-2 FC Zurich (2014)
The quarter finals was a complete unknown to City in 2014 when Swiss side FC Zurich travelled to Airdrie for the second leg of the Round of 16 tie. Zurich won narrowly in Switzerland 2-1 and extended their aggregate lead deep into first half stoppage time while Lee Alexander was substituted due to injury.
Abbi Grant and Leanne Ross levelled the tie before Fabienne Humm gave City a mountain to climb as they now needed two goals in the remaining 23 minutes. City had comeback from two goals down in the previous round and were to produce an even better response this time around as Jo Love levelled the tie on aggregate from distance before, three minutes from time, Sue Lappin created City history as she connected to a free kick from Ross to put the ball into the back of the net and make City the first Scottish team to reach the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Masinac Classic Nis 0-4 Glasgow City (2008)
Our final game of our UEFA Women’s Champions League lookback goes back to 2008 and our second ever European campaign in what was called the UEFA Women’s Cup at this point. Following three defeats from three in our first taste of Europe in 2005, City were determined to make their mark on the European stage in 2008 and drew the opening qualifying group game of this campaign against AZ Alkmaar.
Next up was Serbian side, Masinac Classic Nis, a side that had won 22 National League Titles as part of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro and Serbia. It was a tough task for City against a side that had won two of their previous three European ties but a first victory in Europe would come for City as they scored four against their Serbian opponents. Victory also helped City progress through the first group stage for the first time in the club’s history.
Find out who Glasgow City will meet in this year’s UWCL when the draw is made on Friday. Follow City’s social channels for all the updates.