Fiorentina Femminile 0, Manchester City Women 5 (Women’s Champions League – Man City Women win 8-0 on aggregate)
Manchester City made short work of beating Fiorentina as they went into the last 8 of the Women’s Champions League with an 8-0 aggregate win.
Embed from Getty ImagesTop scorers in the WSL, City had the tie wrapped up in a dominant first half and were denied a larger margin of victory by a string of saves by Katja Schroffenegger as they made short work of their hosts with a 5-0 win on the day in Italy.
Ellen White was captain for the day and scored either side of a Caroline Weir penalty as City went 3-0 up in 32 minutes before Sam Mewis rounded things off with a second half brace after coming on at half time.
There was a total of five changes for Manchester City who took a healthy 3-0 lead to Italy for their game in the Studio Artemio Franchi against Fiorentina.
Ellie Roebuck, Lucy Bronze, Steph Houghton, Sam Mewis, and Chloe Kelly were rested giving Karima Benameur Taieb, Georgia Stanway, Abby Dahlkemper, Rose Lavelle, and Janine Beckie starts.
Lavelle was given the chance to shine in central midfield for Manchester City and kept her place in the side after replacing her USNWT team mate Sam Mewis against Everton on Sunday.
Lucy Bronze and Steph Houghton were rested after the testing encounter with the Toffees on Sunday and didn’t travel while Karima Benameur Taieb was given a start in goal – her first since September in the FA Cup – with Ellie Roebuck on the bench.
Georgia Stanway was deployed at right back while Abby Dahlkemper returned to central defence and Beckie was deployed on the right flank.
City were all over the Viola in the opening minutes with Alex Greenwood having a shot saved while Beckie had a shot blocked.
City had started the first leg quickly with two goals in four minutes but it only took them eight minutes to get on the scoresheet in Italy.
Ellen White drilled the ball home within 8 minutes after Stanway’s forward pass was laid off to the England striker by Lauren Hemp who created the space for the City striker to pick her spot.
Benameur Taieb saved from Lana Clelland and dived on the rebound as the Viola briefly threatened on the break before City upped a gear and ended the tie with their second goal.
Martina Zanoli conceded a penalty after the ball came at her off Esme Morgan from a cross into the area and she accidentally handled it – a harsh decision.
Caroline Weir’s precise spot kick went into the bottom right corner after 18 minutes and effectively ended the tie.
City continued to threaten and Hemp had a shot saved by Schroffenegger after Weir picked her out and White had a point blank shot saved after a right wing cross by Lavelle.
White could not be denied though and Hemp squared the ball to White who stabbed in her second of the day from 6 yards out in the 32nd minute.
Fiorentina missed a golden chance to pull a goal back shortly before half time when Sara Baldi poked the ball wide of the back post after a great run by Frederikke Thogersen down the right to set her up.
City boss Gareth Taylor brought on Kelly and Mewis at half time to give some game time in the competition – they replaced Hemp and Weir.
And Mewis saw her shot tipped away by Schroffennegger seconds after the restart as City imposed themselves again.
Baldi was withdrawn for Martina Piemonte after 54 minutes before Beckie nearly got on the end of an inviting Kelly cross.
White blazed over a chance for her hat trick after Stanway had passed her the ball but it was Mewis who got herself on the scoresheet with a clinical finish from outside the box as defenders retreated in front of her after a pass from Walsh released her.
This was the cue for two more changes with Laura Coombs and Millie Davies coming on – youngster Davies was making her Champions league bow – giving White and Walsh a rest.
With the game well and truly over City played out the rest of the game at a lower intensity.
Clelland briefly threatened another chance on goal having broken though, forcing Beckie to give away a corner in the last 15 minutes which Coombs headed clear.
But Mewis simply added a fifth for City with 12 minutes to go drilling home from 7 yards out after running onto a perfectly weighted square ball from Kelly from the right.
Mewis missed out on a hat trick after being set up by Lavelle for a shot which went straight at Schroffenegger while she blazed over a later cross from the right by Kelly.
And Mewis almost turned provider with a ball across the six yard box which evaded a lunging Lavelle in the last minute.
GOALS – Fiorentina 0, Manchester City Women 5 (Women’s Champions League – Man City Women win 8-0 on aggregate)
Fiorentina 0, Man City Women 1: 8. Georgia Stanway saw a gap and threaded the ball to Lauren Hemp who laid it off to Ellen White for a drilled strike beyond Katja Schroffenegger.
Fiorentina 0, Man City Women 2: 18. Caroline Weir’s precise penalty kick went into the bottom right corner after Zanouli handled the ball from Esme Morgan’s header after a corner.
Fiorentina 0, Man City Women 3: 32. Lauren Hemp cut in from the left and squared the ball for Ellen White who made no mistake from 6 yards out.
Fiorentina 0, Man City Women 4: 60. Sam Mewis capped off a second half performance with a well placed low finish from outside the box with Katja Schroffenegger slow to react.
Fiorentina 0, Man City Women 5: 78. Sam Mewis hit her second goal with another perfectly timed finish from 7 yards out after running onto a square pass threaded between defenders by Chloe Kelly from the right.
MATCH STATS – Fiorentina 0, Manchester City Women 5 (Women’s Champions League – Man City Women win 8-0 on aggregate)
Fiorentina Femminile: Schroffenegger, Quinn, Cordia, Adami, Thogersen. Vigilucci, Middag, Baldi (Piemonte 54), Zanoli, Sabatino, Clelland (Breitner 79)
Fiorentina Subs not used: Ohrstrom, Monnecchi, Forcinella, Pastifieri, Papi, Mani
Man City Women: Taieb, Stanway, Dahlkemper, Morgan, Greenwood, Walsh (Coombs 64), Lavelle, Weir (Mewis 46), Beckie (Mannion 85), Hemp (Kelly 46), White (Davies 64)
Man City Women Subs not used: Roebuck, Keating, Park
Goals: White 8, 32; Weir 18; Mewis 60, 78
Referee: Esther Staubli