Real Madrid sink Manchester City´s Women´s Champions League hopes as Weir haunts old club

Manchester City missed out on a place in the Champions League group stage after their former midfielder Caroline Weir struck the goal that gave Real Madrid a 1-0 victory on Sunday.

Scottish star Weir left City in July, and in a reunion with her old club she hit the winner in the 15th minute at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Three weeks after England’s Euro 2022 triumph at Wembley, City had Lionesses Keira Walsh, Alex Greenwood, Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp in their starting line-up.

However, they could not force City back onto level terms, meaning that for the second successive year, two-time semi-finalists City have gone out to Madrid at the qualifying stage.

Hemp shot wide late on as City’s hopes fizzled out in the Spanish capital, with Madrid going through to a final round of qualifying to determine whether they advance to the 16-team group stage, for which Lyon, Barcelona, Chelsea and Wolfsburg are the only automatic entrants.

City were also eliminated by Real Madrid in the men’s Champions League last season, when a late turnaround at the Santiago Bernabeu saw Madrid rally from 5-3 behind on aggregate to snatch a 6-5 win after extra time in the semi-finals.

A frustrating night in the @UWCL, but we exit the competition with our heads held high after a battling performance in Madrid 

 0-1  #ManCity pic.twitter.com/pUwkPmRYdG

— Man City Women (@ManCityWomen) August 21, 2022