Emily Keogh
LEIGH, England – Manchester United doesn’t mind being called an underdog. Their aim is to win as many matches as possible in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and their first match couldn’t have gone better, being the only Women’s Super League (WSL) team to claim an opening day victory thanks to captain Maya Le Tissier.
WSL champions Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by FC Twente in the Netherlands, continuing their streak of poor execution in the final third, while on Tuesday holders Arsenal lost 2-1 to OL Lyonnes, the team they beat in last season’s semi-final.
Manchester United, however, claimed a 1-0 victory over Valerenga on their debut in the competition, with the skipper scoring from the spot to kick off their campaign.
There was really only one person to whom fairytale moments could happen, and that was Le Tissier. Having joined the club in 2022, she has become one of the most important players for United, making 71 consecutive starts in the WSL, the most of any player in the league, and leading the charge as captain since last season.
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The romanticism of the Champions League does not escape Le Tissier either. After facing the crushing disappointment of losing in the qualifiers against Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, to the joy of overcoming their deficit to defeat SK Brann and advancing to the competition proper, the 23-year-old overcame all the emotions.
“This is where you want to be, playing the Champions League. It meant everything to us. It’s been a long, well my four years, for Tooney (Ella Toone), she’s been here for like 10 years or something,” Le Tissier said after the match. “We worked hard to get here; we deserve to be here so to get the first win is something we wanted to do and so to do it tonight we are very happy.”
Le Tissier would have dreamed of what this moment would be like, what it would mean to lead his team into the Champions League, as they did in the last FA Cup final. She was visibly emotional at full time, in tears and consoled by her teammates as she did an appreciation lap for traveling fans. There are probably many other emotions linked to Le Tissier’s tears, linked to his disappointment that his England career fell far short of reflecting his domestic record and ability.
It takes a special player to maintain such composure at the back to lead United to a defensive record last season and keep a clean sheet in the continental opener, but she has just eight caps for England to show for it. Having missed out on a place at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and being confined to the bench for Euro 2025, there are slim arguments to explain why Sarina Wiegman will not play at Tissier. Although the England manager says she sees the Guernsey native as a right-back, the Manchester United captain is arguably the fittest centre-back England have, with captain Leah Williamson injured, vice-captain Millie Bright’s place contested after her Euro withdrawal and Lotte Wubben-Moy failing to earn many minutes at Arsenal.
Le Tissier will be key to keeping United with a chance of reaching the playoffs. Not only his composure to prevent other teams from entering, but also his leadership to guide, keep the team calm and rejuvenate them at halftime if they are trailing.
They were made easier by first facing Valerenga, a team who made the group stage last season but are largely separated from the resources and financial backing available to a club like Manchester United. They should have defeated them comfortably, and they mostly did.
Despite being classed as underdogs, having yet to have a full run in the competition and struggling against a thin and injured team, this has not fazed United. They don’t pay attention to the labels placed on them, their goal being to win as many games as possible to finish in the top 12 teams and earn a spot in the playoffs.
This will undoubtedly have been United’s best chance to score points ahead of their opponents. It’s early, sure, but United are two and three points ahead of their WSL counterparts, sitting comfortably in the playoff middle section. All points will be crucial, with the new format already causing upsets and dropped points, so United couldn’t have asked for a better start.
There are areas of concern, however, some that constantly plague them and others that will be exploited against ruthless and clinical teams. United have struggled to convert their chances this season. They created more than most clubs, registering numerous chances, but their execution was botched. Of their 16 shots, seven were on target, a complete chasm compared to Valerenga’s two, one of which was on target.
What will be concerning is that the lack of ruthlessness in throwing away more than one chance will not allow them to stand up to opponents they have yet to face in the competition. A narrow lead against Atlético Madrid next week won’t give them much breathing room against a team that beat St. Pölten six times in their opening match. After that, they will have to face the giants of PSG, VfL Wolfsburg, OL Lyonnes and Juventus, all of whom will force Manchester United to defend with their lives and seize every opportunity given to them.
Although the points earned ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal will likely even out as the competition progresses, those extra points could make the difference when it comes to securing a playoff spot or going home empty-handed.
There’s still a lot to do on this side; the midweek international travel, the intense two-game competitive weeks and the struggle to keep their already thin squad fit and healthy. Yet Manchester United have sent out a statement that they are here to compete and not cower at the bottom of the table as many predicted.
