Match-winner Mary Fowler praised Manchester City’s resilience after they completed a concerted fightback at St Polten to maintain their perfect start to the Champions League group stage.
City, who beat holders Barcelona in their opening Group D fixture a week ago, followed that up with a hard-fought 3-2 victory in Vienna on Wednesday evening, with Australia international Fowler heading home the decisive goal with just 10 minutes remaining.
Her intervention came after Japan striker Aoba Fujino’s first goal for the club had levelled things up at 2-2, three days after Khadija Shaw’s double had clinched a comeback win at Liverpool in the Women’s Super League.
A message from tonight’s Player of the Match! ✨#ManCity | #UWCL pic.twitter.com/DBOYnqiR9L
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) October 16, 2024
Fowler told UEFA TV: “I’m just happy to be able to get the win with the girls. Obviously being able to help in that way, getting a goal, feels really good.
“I’m most proud of the girls for being able to come from behind and change that energy and get the win in the end.
“Our last couple of games have been like that and we haven’t stopped and given up, so really happy to be able to win in that way.”
Alanna Kennedy had blasted the visitors into a fifth-minute lead and City seemed destined to win comfortably as they piled on the pressure and were twice denied by the woodwork.
However, Melanie Brunnthaler’s equaliser and a Kamila Dubcova strike turned the game on its head before Fujino and Fowler restored order.
Fowler said: “They’re a good side. That’s the great thing about the Champions League, that you can’t underestimate any team.
“They could have easily have won that game out there with the chances they had, so good game, good entertainment and I hope the fans enjoyed that.”
City boss Gareth Taylor was a relieved man after seeing his side emerge on the right end of the scoreline.
He told the club’s official website: “I’m just really pleased to get the three points. I thought it was a difficult game on a really difficult pitch.
“We didn’t underestimate it, far from it. I just think that these games are naturally the hardest games, the so-called ones where you’re just supposed to come to someone’s territory and win, and it’s so difficult.
“Six points out of the two games is a really good start for us.”
For St Polten goalkeeper Carina Schluter, who produced a string of fine saves to keep her side in the game until the death, the game sparked mixed emotions.
Back-to-back wins for Bayern and City 🔥#UWCL pic.twitter.com/76eIg37uJc
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) October 16, 2024
Schluter told UEFA.com: “Right now, it’s quite frustrating and it hurts. You should be able to be happy about a result like this, but maybe it’ll take a few days. You just want to win every game and we were close.
“We now know that we can make it difficult for the big teams and that we don’t have to make ourselves as small as many say.
“We’re super excited for the next challenges and we’ll see how it will go.”
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