The UEFA Women's Champions League returns this week and the first match listed in the quarter final stages is the first leg between FC Rosengård and FC Barcelona to be played in the Malmö IP stadium today. Barcelona know they have their work cut out for them against a very good Rosengård side but they will be hopeful of coming away from Sweden with a good platform for the second leg.
Rosengård look to start their season with a win
As the Damallsvenskan has not yet started, Rosengård will look to use this tie to not only advance to the next stage of the Champions League but to also put them in good standing when the new season begins in April. That is not to say that the team is still in pre-season mode as they have played some matches in the Svenska Cupen so most of the players should be near 100% match fit for this tie.
The team from Sweden has also never made it past the quarter-finals of the Champions League in this incarnation (under their previous name, Malmö, they made it to the semi-finals in the 2003/2004 season) so this may be a great opportunity for Jack Jensen's side to earn another milestone for themselves against a team that many feel Rosengård should beat over the two legs.
Rosengård has many talented players in their ranks that they can look to to try and put this tie to bed in the first leg. Brazilian legend Marta is always the first name that people will look to for the quality in attack but Lotta Schelin and Ella Masar are all capable of winning games with their ability in front of goal.
The Swedish outfit has also brought in the likes of Hanna Folkesson, Sanne Troelsgaard and Sophie Sundqvist to give them even more firepower and balance in midfield. All of these above mentioned players, and a backline led by Emma Berglund, should be enough to see Rosengård through to the next stage.
Barcelona look to cause an upset
Barcelona are in a similar position to Rosengård as they have also never moved on to the semi-final stage of the Champions League history but in this tie, they are most certainly the underdogs. Barcelona are still in their 2016/2017 season and will be coming into this match with two wins on the trot but many feel that even with those confidence-boosting wins, they will not be able to contain the quality that Rosengård possess, especially over two legs.
Barcelona will look to the likes of defender Line Røddik and goalkeeper Sandra Paños to marshall the defence against what is expected to be an onslaught from the first whistle by Rosengård. Both those players and those around them will have to be resolute and fully concentrated for the entire match.
Going forward, Vicky Losada and Alexia Putellas will be looking to provide the telling passes that someone like Andressa Alves can profit from and try to make the most of the limited chances they are expected to make. Football is a game where upsets are possible all the time so Barcelona will hope that on this occasion, they can surprise not just the home side, but all the pre-match predictions as well.