Manchester United suffered a 1-0 defeat to Brann in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League qualifier. Ingrid Stenevik’s late header gave Brann the advantage, leaving United with work to do in the second leg to reach the group stage.
Manchester United's journey toward their first-ever Women's Champions League group stage appearance suffered a significant setback after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Brann in Norway during the first leg of their third qualifying round match. The Red Devils now face an uphill battle to overturn the deficit in the return leg at Leigh Sports Village next Thursday.
The decisive moment came in the 76th minute when poor defending on a Brann free-kick allowed Ingrid Stenevik to rise unchallenged and head the ball past Phallon Tullis-Joyce in the United goal. The goal sent the home crowd into raptures and left Manchester United reeling, with their Champions League dreams hanging precariously in the balance.
The match was played in front of a record-breaking crowd of 16,019 for a women's football match in Norway, adding to the electric atmosphere at the Brann Stadion. The home side's passionate support undoubtedly played a role in spurring them on to victory.
To add insult to injury, Manchester United's preparations for the match were disrupted when some of the players' boots went missing during transit. The whereabouts of the missing boots remain a mystery, but the club swiftly sourced replacements to ensure all players were ready to take the field.
A Manchester United source commented: "A bag containing some of our players’ boots went missing during the journey to Bergen. We are investigating how this happened. In the meantime, we have secured new boots for all the affected players, and they are ready to participate in tonight’s game as normal."
Despite the unusual circumstances, United started the match brightly and created several chances to score in the first half. Elisabeth Terland had a header go wide from an Anna Sandberg cross and a shot deflected off target, before United started to dominate proceedings.
Ella Toone, playing with her usual flair and creativity, had a deflected shot superbly saved by Brann goalkeeper Selma Panengstuen. Terland then headed over from a teasing Toone cross, and the England midfielder went close herself with a long-range effort.
United continued to press in the second half, with Panengstuen again proving to be a formidable obstacle. Dominique Janssen saw her effort saved after a strong run down the left from Melvine Malard.
However, against the run of play, Brann struck the decisive blow. Signe Gaupset's inswinging free-kick from the left wing found Stenevik unmarked in the box, and the defender made no mistake, heading the ball powerfully past Tullis-Joyce.
The goal was Brann's first real attack of the second half and the first goal United have conceded in four games this season. The Red Devils had previously eliminated PSV and Hammarby in the earlier qualifying rounds during a mini-tournament in Stockholm.
Brann are coached by Leif Smerud, who took over from Martin Ho – formerly of Manchester United’s backroom team – during the summer. Smerud's team currently sit four points clear at the top of the Toppserien, Norway's top division.
For Brann, the victory represents one of their finest achievements in continental football, adding to their quarter-final appearance two seasons ago. However, for Manchester United, it was a frustrating night that leaves them with plenty of work to do in the second leg.
United now need to win by at least a goal in the return leg to force extra time or by two goals to secure automatic qualification for the Champions League group stage. They will be hoping to rediscover their shooting boots and put in a much-improved performance in front of their home fans.
The second leg promises to be a tense and exciting affair, with Manchester United determined to turn the tie around and keep their Champions League dreams alive.