Ladies suffer narrow first-leg defeat in Brescia
It's all to play for in Widnes next week after Liverpool Ladies lost 1-0 to Brescia in the first leg of their Champions League last 32 tie in Italy on Wednesday night.
Matt Beard will be proud of his team’s display overall and they have certainly given themselves a fighting chance.
The manager went into the game without his inspirational first-choice goalkeeper Libby Stout, so that meant Danielle Gibbons started between the posts. Gibbons only underwent surgery in July on a benign brain tumour.
Beard was also without injured quartet Fara Williams, Becky Easton, Kate Longhurst and Corina Schroder, but he did have Nigerian star Asisat Oshoala back on the bench.
Liverpool Ladies started the game brightly and Ashley Hodson caused plenty of problems down the right flank with her pace.
Hodson almost broke clear after 12 minutes, but only a superb last-ditch challenge from Elena Linari cleared the danger.
The home side were looking to test Gibbons with long-range efforts and one eventually made the breakthrough.
On 27 minutes, Sara Gama fired a shot towards goal and Gibbons couldn’t keep the ball out as it came off the goalkeeper’s hands and rolled over the line.
Brescia came close to making it 2-0 five minutes later when a superb pass from Martina Rosucci put Barbara Bonansea through, but the left winger’s shot came back off the post.
Beard made a change for the second half when he brought on Oshoala, who replaced Hodson.
The current African Women’s Player of the Year made an immediate impact as she ran at the Brescia rearguard and caused endless problems.
Liverpool Ladies missed a golden chance to equalise on 50 minutes when Oshoala pulled the ball back for Natasha Dowie, who could only fire over the top.
Beard then suffered another injury blow when captain Gemma Bonner was forced off the field with an ankle problem, meaning a debut for youngster Shannon Beckwith at centre-half.
The Reds continued to press hard and with Katrin Omarsdottir a solid figure in midfield and Satara Murray back to her best at the back, an equaliser always looked likely.
Rosie White almost got the goal Beard’s side deserved but her effort was brilliantly saved by the legs of Chiara Marchitelli.
Then at the other end Daniela Sabatino broke clear and put the ball in the net, only to see her celebrations cut short by the offside flag.
The tie will be concluded next Wednesday and Beard will be hoping his team can overturn the result and make it a night to remember.
Liverpool Ladies: Gibbons, Harris, Ryland, Murray, Bonner (Beckwith 60), Staniforth, Hodson (Oshoala 45), Omarsdottir, Dowie, Zelem, White. Subs not used: Darbyshire, Green, Dale, Pacheco.
Click here to watch all the Brescia action and reaction.