As the summer is drawing to a close, clubs are announcing their final signings, carrying out the last of their pre-season friendlies and getting ready to start the new season with a bang.
With only 7 days to go until more leagues are back in action, we’ve gathered the biggest stories from the end of August here in one article so you don’t miss a single thing.
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Liga F returns for the 25/26 season
With 16 teams in the league, Liga F Moeve is one of the earliest top flights to return and this season sees both Alhama CF and DUX Logroño return to the top flight.
Both teams faced a tough welcome to the league with Alhama CF travelling to face current champions Barcelona for their first test whereas Logroño hosted league runners-up Real Madrid which we’ll be focusing on in our spotlight match this week.
This weekend also saw the first use of Football Video Support (FVS), a step towards possibly bringing VAR into the women’s game in the future. This allows coaches to request the referee to check decisions made via a pitch-side monitor.
Initially, each team would be allowed two challenges per match, however in Barcelona’s game vs Alhama this weekend, every single goal plus a challenge was checked which heavily impacted the flow of the game. It remains to be seen if this will continue throughout the rest of the season or if it will revert back to only checking when a challenge has been raised.
Key moments from Liga F:
–Granada sealed their 1-2 victory over Levante with a 73rd minute penalty.
–Sevilla’s Rosa Márquez made the only difference in their 1-0 win over Eibar.
– After a tight first half which finished 0-1, Atlético de Madrid turned up the pressure in the second half scoring four more goals including a 90+9th minute penalty skilfully taken by Luany.
– A first-half brace by 16 year old Aiara Agirrezabala saw Real Sociedad comfortably ahead but Madrid CFF managed to equalise through Poljak and Malou Marcetto Rylov with 20 minutes left on the clock.
– FC Barcelona recorded the highest score of the weekend against Alhama CF. The hosts started strong with Caroline Graham Hansen scoring within five minutes who then went on to score a brace. Further goals from Bonmati, Pajor and Batlle added to the tally before Claudia Pina came off the bench to score a second-half hattrick. The home side reducing the visitors to only a single shot in the entire match.
– It remained goalless in two matches this weekend, first between Deportivo and FC Badalona Women and then Athletic Club Bilbao vs UD Tenerife. However, they’re still valuable points on the board after Matchday 1.
Spotlight match: DUX Logroño 2 – 2 Real Madrid
Logroño looked set to take all 3 points if it wasn’t for a late minute equaliser from the visitors.
Maria Mendez skilfully opened the scoring just after the 30 minute mark with the first real chance of the game and minutes later in an incredible burst of pressure from the home side, Isina levelled the scoring. She was able to intercept a wayward pass from Madrid’s Dorado before spotting Frohms off her line and sent a powerful floating shot from just inside the Madrid half for a spectacular equaliser.
The home side then nearly added to their tally after a lovely ball over the top found Asenjo whose shot powerfully rattled the crossbar.
In the second half, Real Madrid then upped the intensity as Logroño keeper Miralles had to make some spectacular saves to deny Navarro and Weir.
With just over 10 minutes to go, Logroño were given a free-kick in a very dangerous area and it was Isina, again, who stepped up. She lifted the ball over the wall and looked to curl it into the top corner. Unfortunately for Frohms (who did dive the right way) the ball got caught behind her and bounced down and over the line for 2-1.
In the dying moments of the match, French international Sandie Toletti sent in an incredibly powerful curling corner which was met by the head of Signe Bruun. The Danish forward was then able to flick the ball expertly into the back of the net in the 90+3′ to share the points at Las Gaunas.
Final pre-season friendlies results:
Friday 29th August:
Leicester City 1 – 3 London City Lionesses:
Only a few details were reported for this friendly provided by Leicester City. The Foxes fielded a mix of first team and academy players for vital minutes ahead of next week’s league opener with Hannah Cain scoring for the home side. No note of who scored for London City Lionesses.
Saturday 30th August:
Aston Villa 1 – 0 1.FC Union Berlin:
Villa welcomed recently promoted Union to the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium for a very intense match-up before the WSL and Frauen Bundesliga begin next week.
While Villa dominated the match overall, they struggled to find the back of the net from the numerous chances they were creating. Ebony Salmon came the closest with a shot off the cross bar as Chasity Grant’s shot dragged wide across the face of goal in the opening 20 minutes.
The first half saw the only goal of the game with captain Rachel Daly finally breaking the deadlock for the home side just after the 30 minute mark.
Union also impressed with their pressure on Villa goalkeeper D’Angelo, as the Canadian had to save multiple attempts from Reissner and Heiseler.
In the second half, the intensity of the game slowed as both sides saw multiple personnel changes offering important minutes especially for the new signings of both clubs.
For Villa, Lynn Wilms made it into the starting XI while Ellie Roebuck, Lucia Kendall and Océane Deslandes came onto the pitch in the second half.
For Union, one of their exciting summer signings, Jenny Hipp, tried her luck from distance but for both teams the rest of the second half saw only half-chances before the final whistle blew.
Chelsea 4 – 1 AC Milan:
The current WSL champions welcomed Italian side AC Milan to Kingsmeadow for a very impressive end to their pre-season campaign which featured an Aggie Beever-Jones hattrick.
The young forward opened the scoring just after the 15 minute mark, moments after initial shot was saved by keeper Giuliani. Ten minutes later, Milan found the equaliser through Milan’s top goalscorer from last season, Evelyn Ijeh.
The Italian side almost went ahead a few minutes later with Ijeh crossing the ball to Arrigoni in the box but the Italian’s foot connected awkwardly and the shot flew over the crossbar.
In first-half stoppage time, Chelsea’s Hamano found herself in lots of space to pick out a pass to Aggie Beever-Jones who slotted the ball underneath Giuliani for 2-1.
Just after the hour mark, Keira Walsh was able to pick up a loose pass in midfield and once again picked out Beever-Jones who found the bottom corner of the net for her hat-trick.
Finally, with less than 10 minutes to go Chelsea found their fourth of the afternoon through Johanna Rytting Kaneryd. A lovely long ball over the top was initially intercepted by Milan’s Keijzer, unfortunately, the defender took too many touches to control the ball and Rytting Kaneryd was there to intercept. The Swedish international then drove forward and chipped the ball over the top of the keeper to make the final score 4-1.
Manchester City 4 – 0 Durham:
WSL2 side Durham travelled to Manchester for a tough test against top opposition on Saturday afternoon which saw the home side come out as comfortable winners.
Although Durham started strong and had a chance through Abbey Jones in the opening minutes, Vivianne Miedema scored for the Blues within ten minutes and later in the half turned provider for Lily Murphy to make it 2-0.
After the restart, Grace Ayre and new signing Mariana Speckmaier were both denied their efforts on goal and it didn’t take long for Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw to set up goal number three as she found Kerstin Casparij in the box who then fired home for 3-0.
In the later stages of the second half, Lauren Hemp was able to fire a dangerous ball into the area for Laura Coombs to head home for the fourth and final of the afternoon. Even though Durham continued to battle throughout, they just couldn’t find a way through City’s defence.
In more positive news, Risa Shimizu returned to the pitch for a few minutes before the final whistle; her first minutes since rupturing her ACL nearly one year ago.
Everton 2 – 3 Juventus:
A narrow defeat for the Blues at their new home, Goodison Park, against current Italian champions Juventus but there were still lots of positives to take from this final pre-season test.
Sorensen’s side started strong and were two goals up for the majority of the first half. The first goal coming from a powerful strike by Momiki just before the 30 minute mark with new signing Ornella Vignola turning in Snoeijs’ curling shot moments later.
The visitors finally had a response in the final minute of the first half when Martina Lenzini’s shot across goal was tapped home by Paulina Krumbiegel for 2-1.
Juventus came out fighting after the break, with head coach Max Canzi making 9 changes to his squad and scored only five minutes later. Courtney Brosnan only managed a half-clearance from Pinto’s cross, which unfortunately for the home side, Harviken then picked up the ball on the edge of the box and found the bottom corner to level the scoring.
Despite more chances from Everton through Momiki and Vignola, it was Juventus who found the winner through Chiara Beccari who rounded Brosnan and fired low into the back of the net for 2-3.
Sunday 31st August:
Bristol City 2 – 0 Newcastle:
A very promising end to pre-season for the Robins as Ella Powell and Maria Faruggia were able to seal victory at Ashton Gate.
The hosts had an early chance through Emily Syme but it was Freya Gregory’s chance for the visitors that came the closest to breaking the deadlock but her shot went just wide of the post.
Both goals then came just before the 30 minute mark as Powell was able to beat keeper Claudia Moan at the back post for 1-0. It was then new signing Farrugia’s turn as she connected well with Rio Hardy’s cross and tapped home from close range for 2-0.
The Robins almost had a third through Lexi Lloyd-Smith but her effort ricocheted off the crossbar.
Molly Pike had Newcastle’s best chance around the hour mark but keeper Fran Bentley produced a top-class save to deny the midfielder.
The remainder of the second half was mainly a chance to get more minutes in the legs for both sides as neither side produced any more clear-cut chances. There was one final glimmer of hope for Newcastle, again coming from Freya Gregory, who beat her defender but Bentley was there again to tip her effort over the bar.
Southampton 1 – 3 Tottenham Hotspur:
After a strong second half, Spurs were able to secure another pre-season victory before facing local rivals West Ham in their WSL opener next week.
A couple of changes in the visitors’ starting XI with Martha Thomas coming back into the lineup and excitingly, Kit Graham earned her first start since rupturing her ACL last year.
Graham even came the closest to breaking the deadlock around the 20 minute mark but her powerful strike went over the bar. However, Graham then turned provider as she picked out a lovely pass to Thomas in the box who slotted the ball through the legs of the Saints’ keeper for 1-0.
After the break, the home side were able to come level through Atlanta Primus. The forward was able to run through on goal after being picked out by Bashford who had skilfully intercepted Josefine Rybrink’s pass moments earlier for 1-1.
Jess Naz then restored Spurs’ lead after she beat her defender to pick out the bottom right corner for 1-2. Half-time substitute Holdt then secured the victory for the Lilywhites as she ran onto a ball from Bethany England in the box and netted the ball past Stenson at the near post for 1-3.
Manchester United are through to the third qualifying round of the UWCL:
Elizabeth Terland made all the difference as she scored the only goal on the hour mark against Hammarby in the final of the second qualifying round of Manchester United’s League Path journey of the UWCL.
This narrow win sees United through to the third qualifying round of the tournament where we now know they will face SK Brann. The Norwegian side made it the furthest in their history in the 23/24 season where they met FC Barcelona (and were subsequently knocked out) at the quarter-final stage; proving another tough test up ahead for Marc Skinner’s side.
The third round will be played over two legs with United travelling to Bergen on Thursday 11 September before hosting Brann the following week.
If United are successful, they and the other 9 winners of the third qualifying round qualify to enter the League Phase where the previous season’s champions such as: Chelsea, OL Lyonnes, Arsenal (current holders), Bayern Munich etc. will now join.
On the other hand, if they lose to Brann over the two-legs, they will still qualify for the brand new UEFA Women’s Europa Cup and will enter at the second qualifying round group stage.
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