Kerstin Casparij says the team can take plenty of positive actions from our 1-1 draw with Real Madrid into Sunday’s league clash with Arsenal.
Bunny Shaw’s second half strike cancelled out Linda Caicedo’s opening goal as we took on the Liga F outfit in our first UEFA Women’s Champions League fixture on home soil in 18 months.
In an evenly contested affair, both teams had the chance to snatch the win late on with Lauren Hemp and Beth Mead going close either side of Silvia Cristobal’s goal which was disallowed after the referee blocked Mead from reaching the loose ball.
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It means our Blues have to wait for our first win in the League Phase with two draws from two.
But Casparij highlighted that the team will learn and take the positive moments into Sunday’s next big test.
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“I think it was a game of two halves, I think we struggled a little in the first. I think we came out a lot better in the second-half and created a lot of chances as well, especially towards the end of the game,” Casparij explained.
“So it’s coming away with a point. I think a lot of good things to take into the game on Sunday as well with a quick turnaround and things we can learn from as well.
“We only had to do a couple little tweaks, so half-time was good so we could get some of the pictures and to know what we could do better, and obviously we changed the press a little bit, so that really helped,” the Dutch international continued.
“So I think from that moment on, it was a little bit not an easier game, but we made it a little bit easier for ourselves. We have a lot of confidence in the team. We know we can keep going until the final whistle blows and I think again we showed that today as well.”
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City welcome Arsenal to the Etihad Stadium for a special matchday battle in which two of the best teams in England will go head-to-head in our latest Barclays Women’s Super League assignment.
Kick-off at the Etihad is set for 16:30 (UK), with tickets still available here.
Andrée Jeglertz’s side sit seven points clear of seventh-place Arsenal with four games played and City the only outfit to boast a 100% league record.
And like all our incredible clashes at the Men’s main stadium, Casparij is excited for another important game ahead of the October international break.
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“I think it’s a big game. I think when we saw the schedule in the beginning of the season, we knew it was going to be a big game,” said Casparij.
“I’m excited to play in the Etihad. I’m excited to play in front of a big home crowd.
“We obviously want to increase the gap where we can, but we also know that we’ve got to focus on what we’ve got to do first [in the game] and stuff like that comes second.
“They’re a good team. and they will make it difficult for us and I hope it’s going to be a good game but it’ll definitely not be easy so we’ve got to bring our A-game on Sunday as well.”
Manchester City lodge appeal
A soccer player from Manchester City Women's team celebrates a goal during a match, wearing a light blue jersey with the number 11. The goalkeeper is visible on the ground in the background.