The task awaiting Manchester City on Wednesday evening is nothing short of the toughest in women’s football. It is why, when asked if their opponents are the “best team in the world”, neither the head coach, Gareth Taylor, nor captain, Alex Greenwood, had the slightest hint of hesitation in answering “yes”. They are correct. These are the European champions. Barcelona.
The team that have won the Women’s Champions League twice in a row, the team that contains both of the past two Ballon d’Or winners, and the team that is averaging five goals a game in their domestic league, will visit at a sold-out Joie Stadium and provide the most forensic assessment yet of how far Manchester City have come as a team in the three and a half years since their most recent meeting.
