Manchester United succumbed to the first defeat of their inaugural Women’s Champions League campaign, a result that sent Stephan Lerch’s side above United into third in the table.
The temperature in Wolfsburg may have been close to freezing but the players on the pitch did their bit to warm up the 3,817 spectators in the stadium. Five first-half goals raised the dial as momentum swung before the hosts opened up a gap after the break.
Marc Skinner was left to rue his side’s defensive lapses in concentration. The timing of the goals and the errors in the buildup seemed to frustrate him the most, particularly after a strong start.
“I think the stats sum it up,” the United manager said. “Six shots on target, five goals. They’ve been clinical but, really, we’ve given them the game… there’s not much more I can say. It’s gut-wrenching to concede five, especially in the way that we have.”
Despite taking a sucker punch from Manchester City last Saturday, United’s Champions League endeavours have been impressive. There are not, however, many sides with as much European pedigree as Wolfsburg and United soon learned how clinical the two-time champions can be.
