A dream Champions League debut for Le Tissier and Man United

LEIGH, England -- Manchester United are not fussed astir being called underdogs. Their program is to triumph arsenic galore games successful the UEFA Women's Champions League arsenic possible, and their debut fixture could not person gone overmuch better, being the lone Women's Super League (WSL) squad to assertion an opening time triumph acknowledgment to skipper Maya Le Tissier.

WSL champions Chelsea were held to a 1-1 gully by FC Twente successful the Netherlands, continuing their streak of mediocre execution successful the last third, portion connected Tuesday rubric holders Arsenal mislaid 2-1 to OL Lyonnes, the squad they defeated successful past season's semifinal.

Manchester United, however, secured a 1-0 triumph implicit Valerenga connected their debut successful the competition, with the skipper netting from the spot to get their run underway.

There was truly lone 1 idiosyncratic who the fairytale moments could hap to, and that's Le Tissier. Having joined the nine successful 2022, she has go 1 of the astir captious players for United, making 71 consecutive starts successful the WSL, the astir of immoderate subordinate successful the league, and starring the complaint arsenic the skipper since past season.

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The romanticism of the Champions League is not mislaid connected Le Tissier either. Having dealt with the crushing disappointment of losing successful the qualifiers to Paris Saint-Germain successful 2023, to the elation of overturning their shortage to decision SK Brann to scope the contention proper, the 23-year-old has ridden each of the emotions.

"This is wherever you privation to be, playing successful the Champions League. It meant the satellite to us. It's been a long, good my 4 years, for Tooney [Ella Toone] she's been present similar 10 years oregon something," Le Tissier said aft the game. "We've worked hard to get here; we merit to beryllium present truthful to get the archetypal triumph is thing we wanted to bash and truthful to bash it contiguous we're precise happy."

Le Tissier would person dreamed what this infinitesimal would consciousness like, what it would mean to pb her squad retired successful the Champions League, similar she did for the astir caller FA Cup final. She was visibly moved astatine full-time, successful tears and being consoled by teammates arsenic she did a thigh of appreciation for the travelling fans. There are apt plentifulness of different emotions tied to Le Tissier's tears, linked to her disappointment that her Read Entire Article