Manchester United Women are in the UEFA Women’s Champions League proper for the first time in their history, and kick off their campaign against Valerenga on Wednesday.
The match will start at 8 p.m. local
time, 3 p.m. on the East Coast of the United States.
The Reds enter the matchup at Leigh Sports Village with four days of rest after facing Chelsea in Barclays Women’s Super League action last Friday, and will look to grab three points early before the trickier, more daunting European fixtures come their way.
How to watch
Disney+ Premium subscribers in the United Kingdom, and throughout much of the world, can watch on their accounts, but UK viewers can also watch on MUTV
In the United States, the match will stream on Paramount+.
Those in Africa and Asia will need BeIN Sports Connect to view the match.
Preview
Marc Skinner’s side is in decent shape after taking points off of league leaders Chelsea at the weekend. A 1-1 draw with the six-time Women’s Super League champions may be hard for the most competitive of fans, but taking points from the Blues whenever possible is a plus in this day and age.
The draw did see the Reds get jumped in the table by City and Tottenham, but they are still very much in view of the European places, and even the top spot, with just two points separating the top four clubs through five matches.
Valerenga are coming off of a complete campaign in which they finished second to Brann, the side United had to take down in the qualification round. They finished four points behind the champions, but managed to fight their way through to the league phase of the Champions League.
The side sets up in a 3-5-2 formation, though may play a bit more defensive against the Reds. Olaug Tvedten leads the team in goals with 17, followed closely by Karina Saevik with 16. The prolific strike partnership could present problems for the Reds, but a strong defensive record to start the season should have United feeling confident.
A bolstered midfield has helped boost United’s floor as well, with additions Julia Zigiotti Olme and Jess Park slotting in quickly alongside Ella Toone to seemingly solve the side’s biggest problems from last season.
Veteran wide defender Fridolina Rolfo has also been a positive newcomer, arriving after a storied stay at Barcelona. Hers was a transaction made with Champions League experience in mind, and her two winners’ medals and three runners-up medals do enough to back that up.
Expect Skinner’s side to set up as usual, a 4-2-3-1 with Toone and Park pulling the strings behind Elisabeth Terland up front.
Predicted XI: Phallon Tullis-Joyce; Jayde Riviere, Maya Le Tissier, Dominique Janssen, Anna Sandberg; Julia Zigliotti, Jess Park, Ella Toone; Fridolina Rolfo, Celin Bizet; Elisabeth Terland.
