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• Shaw, Layzell on target as Man City stun holders Barcelona in Women's Champions League

  Naomi Layzell enjoyed a dream Women's Champions League debut as her goal and assist helped Manchester City stun holders Barcelona 2-0 on Wednesday. 

  Layzell was playing her football in the Women's Super League last season with relegated Bristol City, but was the star of the show at the Joie Stadium. 

  City were making their first appearance in the competition since falling to a 4-2 quarter-final loss to the Catalan side in March 2021, and exacted their revenge with a plucky display.

  The hosts, however, almost found themselves a goal behind with just three minutes on the clock when Caroline Hansen took aim and saw her effort cannon off the post, shortly before Lauren Hemp struck the woodwork with a strike of her own. 

  City grew into the contest and almost got the goal their performance merited in the 35th minute when Vivianne Miedema teed up Khadija Shaw, only to see her effort saved by Cata Coll.

  But from the resulting corner, Gareth Taylor's side got their noses in front as Miedema brilliantly headed the ball from the back post and back into the danger area, with Layzell sliding in to mark her Champions League debut with a goal. 

  Barcelona had only failed to score once in their past 79 games heading into the encounter, and improved after the interval in their search for an equaliser. 

  Aitana Bonmati forced Ayaka Yamashita into making a smart save down to her right, with substitute Claudia Pina going close from distance as City were forced to withstand a relentless wave of pressure from the defending champions. 

  But the hosts landed a sucker punch in the 77th minute on the counter, with Layzell turning provider for Shaw, with the striker riding the challenge of Patri Guijarro before rounding Coll to seal a memorable triumph for City. 

  The Citizens ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.68 compared to Barca's 1.5, despite having four fewer shots than their opponents. 

  Gareth Taylor's side sit level on points with Hammarby in Group D, after the Swedish side beat Austria's St. Polten 2-0 earlier on Wednesday.

  Meanwhile, in Group C, Juventus edged out Norwegian side Valerenga to kickstart their campaign with a victory at the Intility Arena. 

  Sofia Cantore's 29th minute strike proved to be the difference, with the Italian curling a fine right-footed effort beyond the grasp of Tove Enblom against the run of play. 

  Juventus continued to struggle throughout the contest, with Valerenga registering 25 shots, with six of those on target, ending with an xG total of 2.2. 

• Daniel Maldini the missing piece to Italy puzzle, believes Spalletti

  Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti believes Daniel Maldini has been the creative spark the national side has been lacking ahead of their Nations League clash with Belgium. 

  Maldini could follow in the footsteps of his father, Paolo, and grandfather Cesare, both former Italy captains, should he represent the Azzurri at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday. 

  The 22-year-old came through the ranks at Milan, managing 24 appearances in all competitions and scoring once, but spent three seasons out on loan from 2022 to 2024. 

  Maldini spent the second half of last season on loan with Monza before making his move permanent in July, netting five goals in 19 outings to help Raffaele Palladino's side to a 12th place finish in Serie A. 

  Now under the guidance of Alessandro Nesta, Maldini has begun to flourish, completing more dribbles (12) than any of his team-mates in the league so far. 

  The young Italian was one of four players given their senior call-up by Spalletti for their Nations League fixtures against Belgium and Israel, with the Monza forward replacing Lazio's Matteo Zaccagni. 

  And Spalletti is confident Maldini can make an impact, saying: "He is the (kind of) player we were missing."

  Italy come into the contest off the back of an impressive opening to their Nations League A2 group, beating Israel and France last month. 

  After a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign that saw them lose to Switzerland in the round of 16, Spalletti insisted that their encounter against Belgium is crucial to their development.

  "We will immediately become a great team in every match where we will be able to give the best of ourselves," Spalletti said.

  "It is a crucial match for our future."

  Spalletti, however, has his eyes set on the 2026 World Cup, a tournament the Azzurri have won on four occasions throughout their history. 

  But Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions of the competition, but have since won the European Championships against England in 2021 under Roberto Mancini. 

  While Spalletti signified the importance of the World Cup's influence on the Azzurri's illustrious history, he said his players must focus on each game as it comes. 

  "It is a tournament that has determined our history, it has made many people happy," Spalletti concluded. 

• Harder hat-trick downs Arsenal in Women's Champions League opener

  Pernille Harder's hat-trick handed Bayern Munich a winning start to their Women's Champions League campaign, beating Arsenal 5-2 in Group C. 

  Harder, who scored 24 times in 48 appearances for Arsenal's London rivals Chelsea, once again haunted the Gunners, striking her first goals in the competition in almost two years.

  After three games in the Women’s Super League, Arsenal sit sixth, having won once and drawn twice, with the latest defeat piling more pressure on head coach Jonas Eidevall. 

  The Gunners started brightly and took the lead in the 30th minute when Katie McCabe's delivery was swept home by Mariona Caldentey. 

  However, the hosts drew level two minutes before the break when Georgia Stanway's searching ball picked out the head of captain Glodis Viggosdottir, who towered over her marker to loop the ball beyond Manuela Zinsberger. 

  Bayern then took the lead in the 56th minute as a fast break saw Sydney Lohmann finish at the near post, only for Eidevall's side to respond nine minutes later when McCabe's corner was headed home by Laia Codina. 

  But the German champions found themselves back in front soon after with a corner routine of their own, with Harder netting her first of the encounter with a header from Carolin Simon's cross. 

  The Dane then notched her second with another well-taken header, before sealing her treble with an effort from close range, despite the best efforts of Zinsberger. 

  Harder recorded a staggering 1.59 expected goals (xG) tally of 1.59 to Bayern's 1.89 total, with Arsenal wasteful with their chances, with six of their nine shots on target but unable to trouble Maria Grohs for the most part. 

  Elsewhere in the other early kick-off, Hammarby recorded a historic 2-0 victory over Austrian side St. Polten at the Tele2 Arena for their first triumph in the group stage of the competition. 

  Vilde Hasund handed the hosts an early lead in the 18th minute with a brilliantly taken finish, striking the ball low into the bottom corner following Ellen Wangerheim's lay-off. 

  The victory was sealed two minutes from time by substitute Cathinka Tandberg, who took a touch and placed the ball beyond Carina Schluter to put them top of Group D ahead of Manchester City's star-studded clash with Barcelona.