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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
[email protected] | Blair Meikle

Hearts Women manage historic European draw while Rangers face uphill task

Hearts women drew with Real Sociedad (Image: Newsquest)

Hearts Women managed a draw with Real Sociedad in their first ever home European match, while Rangers Women have an uphill task after losing 2-0 to Hammarby.

Both sides were in action in the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup after last season’s SWPL champions and runners-up parachuted down from the Champions League.

Andy Thomson’s side hosted the Spaniards at Spartans’ Ainslie Park and held them to a goalless draw - with the visitors’ Nerea Eizagirre blazing a penalty over the crossbar in second half stoppage time.

The capital side dug deep to keep the San Sebastian outfit, who managed ten shots to their one, at bay and also had the woodwork to thank after Ainoa Campo’s strike on 70 minutes hit the post.

Sociedad had a chance to win it when they were awarded a spot kick after 92 minutes, but Eizagirre fired it over.


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The stalemate means it is all to play for over in Spain next week.

Carly Girasoli, Mariana Speckmaier, goalkeeper Rachel Johnstone and 16-year-old defender Toni Campbell were standouts.

Rangers were in Sweden and started brightly without managing to find a breakthrough. They fell behind in the first half to Elin Sorum’s close range finish before substitute Fanny Peterson scored a late second to inflict further damage on Leanne Crichton’s side.

Crichton had made three changes for her club’s bow in the competition, Kirsty Smith, Gry Boe Thrysoe and Hannah Blake. They had plenty of pressure of their own but now have a deficit to overturn in the second leg at Broadwood.

First, attention turns to the first Old Firm derby of the season against Celtic on Sunday, with Rangers’ 100 per cent start to the campaign on the line.

Hearts, meanwhile, host Glasgow City on the same day having won four of their five games so far as their defence of the title gets underway.

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