Manchester United Women host Norwegian side Valerenga in their opening Women’s Champions League fixture at Leigh Sports Village on Wednesday evening.
United beat PSV Eindhoven, Hammarby and Brann to qualify for the competition for the first time in the club’s history.
Valerenga overcame HJK Helsinki, Slavia Prague and Ferencvaros to book their spot in the competition for the second consecutive season.
Match preview
This match promises to be fascinating, given the form of both sides.
United held defending champions Chelsea to a 1-1 draw in the Women’s Super League last Friday, maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.
They are the second-best attacking team in the division, scoring 12 goals in five games and boast the best defensive record, conceding just twice.
Similarly, Valerenga are in a rich vein of form, winning their last ten matches across all competitions by an aggregate score of 26-5.
They are seeking to win the Norwegian top-flight for the third consecutive season but are four points adrift of table-toppers Brann, who they face in their league fixture.
With Valerenga having an eye on Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash with Brann, United could be handed an advantage in this encounter.
Head-to-head
United and Valerenga have never met in any competitive game but faced off in a friendly in 2019 when the Norwegian outfit triumphed 4-1.
Team news
Coach Marc Skinner has confirmed that this game has come too soon for Leah Galton, while Celine Bizet is ruled out due to a ‘little niggle‘.
By contrast, Valerenga has no injury concerns heading into the fixture.
Where to watch
The game will be broadcast live on Disney+ in the UK, and a watch-along stream will be available on the United Women YouTube Channel.
