by Round one of the UEFA Women’s Champions League came to a close on Saturday. Ahead of today’s draw for round two, it’s worth diving into five elements that came out from the post-match reactions across the four matches held in the past week in CP-Group 4, from coaches Dennis Moerman, Vince Galea, Bojan Macesic and Miljana Rondovic, as well as players Sarah Wijnants, Charlene Zammit, Nina Matejic and Svetlana Milicic.
1. One Winner But Plenty Of Milestones Reached
Round one came to a close on Saturday, with Belgian side RSC Anderlecht being the team to progress to next stage from CP-Group 4. Assessing the final match against Birkirkara, coach Dennis Moerman of Anderlecht praised the team’s ability to achieve strong results to proceed to the next round, despite eyeing more consistency in quality across the match.
He said, “As with any competition, as a coach you are always in the business of building confidence. I think despite having had dips in the standard of the team in this match, we still had thirty minutes where we did show our true identity. This week we had strong results in both matches and we also did well with a 5-0 win at home in the Belgian league. So, it means that despite not always reaching the standard that we desire, we are still winning games with some good results, fourteen goals scored and one goal conceded in three official games. So, we must still look for ways to improve but we cannot be totally unhappy with the way things have gone.”
Anderlecht’s Sarah Wijnants was elated to achieve this progression with the team after years of heartbreak, “There are definitely things I want to improve, but the result is what counts today and I’m very happy that we achieved this as a team. It’s a big statement and we have achieved our first target of the season. We will enjoy celebrating this achievement and then look forward to the draw.”
Red Star Belgrade also managed to capture a strong maiden victory to claim third. Coach Bojan Macesic praised the contingent’s work to achieve this milestone, “Really great to achieve this first victory in the history of our club. I congratulate my team and staff for all the work that they put in to achieve this.”
2. New Experiences For Coaches & Players Alike
Meanwhile, there were plenty of players who made their first appearances in the competition, which should only serve as further motivation to push for further success on the European stage.
Nineteen year-old Nina Matejic authored all four goals for Red Star Belgrade in the competition, including a hat-trick against Breznica Pljevlja. However, there was not much celebration from her end. Her answer reflected the bigger ambitions that the side has for themselves, “It is a good feeling to win this match (against Breznica Pljevlja) and to get the hat-trick. There was not a lot of celebration because we are still disappointed about the result of Wednesday, but it is a good feeling to get the first win in the Champions League.”
She was elated with a strong debut in the European competition, with an eye for further achievement, “Playing in the Champions League has been a dream for me since I was very young, so very happy to achieve this. The experience serves as an even bigger motivation for the future and I thank my teammates because it would not have been possible without them.”
Breznica’s Miljana Rondovic underlined the importance of giving several players the first taste of European football, “We have a lot of young players who were playing in this competition for the very first time. So, all the good things and the mistakes that we made will serve as lessons for us. We will assess the matches and build on this for the future.”
However, it was not only players who were debuting in the competition but also several of the coaches, including Birkirkara’s Vince Galea, as well as Breznica’s Miljana Rondovic. Asked about her maiden experience leading the team on this stage, Rondovic said, “We worked a lot for one month and a half, training twice a day to get ready for the competition. As a new coach I am very happy to have gone through this experience with the team, the girls listened to what I said and it was a very interesting experience for sure.”
3. Squad Rotation In Dealing With A Stacked Week
Birkirkara and Breznica Pljevlja were two teams that most suffered after playing extra-time on Wednesday, with limited ability to rotate the squads.
Breznica’s Miljana Rondovic admitted that the element of fatigue limited the side’s ability to impose themselves against Red Star Belgrade, but praised the squad for their efforts, “We played 120 minutes on Wednesday so today definitely felt the effects of it. We still tried to give our best and despite the result I think we still did well today. I am proud of my team.”
Red Star Belgrade also had to play ninety minutes with ten players, but Bojan Macesic was happy with the way the side controlled the game to grab the first win, “There was an impact of fatigue perhaps, but I think we did a good job in how we used possession to build the attacks and get the result.”
On the other hand, for Birkirkara, the impacts of having played extra-time on Wednesday, ahead of the final against Anderlecht, were compounded by an early injury to captain Stephania Farrugia.
Defender Charlene Zammit remarked, “We knew this was going to be a tough match, Anderlecht are a strong team both physically and technically and they showed it today. Morally of course losing Steph(ania Farrugia) was tough to get through and especially considering she got injured so early in the match. She and I have a strong partnership and of course as a team you feel this especially when you are playing such a tough match.”
Despite this, the experienced defender praised the contributions of the younger players who rose to the challenge of the competition, “Valentina (Rapa) did a good job and I think we worked well together. The changes worked well as well, Mariah (Cardona) did well to play on a different side, as well as Martina (Fenech) who’s been out for a long time and did well.”
Birkirkara’s dreams of a equaliser were dashed early in the second half as Anderlecht grabbed two goals within three minutes of each other soon after the restart. Charlene Zammit noted the impacts of mental and physical fatigue played a part on the team, “I think unfortunately we were not switched on quickly enough and paid the price. We conceded two very quick goals at the beginning of the second half, and then two more in injury time which I think was the effect of fatigue setting into the team. We played extra time on Wednesday, whereas they played 90 minutes against ten players and had the chance to rotate. However, there is no denying that Anderlecht is a strong team and full credit to them for their achievement.”
Meanwhile, the champions of the group Anderlecht did not get out of the group unscathed, with Amelie Delabre having to be taken off early against Birkirkara. Asked about the implications of the injury for his team, Dennis Moerman remarked the importance of a strong bench ahead of a competitive season, “We don’t think it will be anything serious, but it was more of a precaution because it was not the first time that she went down in a duel. We will assess it in depth but we did not want to risk further damage because we will return to competition next week as well. We have a good bench and the players who came on did well today, also scored goals so that’s important as well.”
4. The Challenge Of Facing Different Teams
Part of the attraction of the competition is its unique ability to bring together different styles of football, in a knockout format, which offers a new challenge for teams to adapt to in a short amount of time. The group offered a feast of different styles, with Anderlecht predominantly playing possession football, while Breznica Pljevlja displayed devastating counter-attacks. Red Star Belgrade and Birkirkara showed more mixed approaches in the two games, with both sides capable of going direct, but also the ability for patient build-up on the wings to unlock deep-sitting defences.
Anderlecht dominated the ball, but Dennis Moerman acknowledged the need for a lethal approach in front of goal is necessary to beat the different opponents that the competition may throw at them.
He said, “I think we had good focus to qualify for the second round, so I think this was always in our minds. However, at times scoring quickly can be a negative thing because you have a good fifteen minutes, score a goal and maybe relax a bit. I give credit to Birkirkara who did not change much and held on to their identity, tried to push forward and make it difficult for us. However, as a team you have to realise that there are no easy games in this stage of European football. So, it is also our mistake to let go of the pace and let the quality dip at times for too much of the game today.”
Moerman continued, “It’s not enough to be dominant in possession and to put crosses in the box, if there is no one following it up. At half-time we reminded ourselves of this, and once we remembered this we scored two goals in quick succession on the restart. However, we had the same reaction again and dropped the rhythm. We raised it again at the end and managed to score two more. So, I think it was more of a mix of game management and a normal reaction from the team once in the lead, but not one that we should accept.”
Meanwhile, Anderlecht’s Sarah Wijnants grabbed five assists across two matches, but echoed the sentiment of her coach in pushing for an even higher level following the match against Birkirkara.
She said, “I think we had a good first fifteen minutes, but I think I had a dip in my technical quality for a bit in the match after that. So, was not happy with that and tried to do better in the second half and I was more happy with the final twenty minutes, which is when I managed to get the two assists. I think as a team it’s important to hold ourselves to a high bar and I am a player with big ambition. So, it’s good to get the win, but if I’m honest, for me it was not always good enough today.”
On the flip side, the assessment given by Birkirkara’s coach, Vince Galea, on the match against Anderlecht gave insight into the in-game tweaks that coaches deal with during a match on a moment’s notice.
He said “Our plan had been working well in the first half, especially when you consider that the team was also dealing with the shock of losing Steph(ania Farrugia). Valentina (Rapa) did well to cover in the position. We were getting a bit caught on their right attack, so we made some tweaks there, which enabled us to build attacks and forward momentum. We were not scared to play our own game and the idea was to build on this in the second half.”
Birkirkara’s coach also underlined a dip in concentration was exposed by Anderlecht, a testament to the strength of the Belgian team, which such a competition forces teams to face.
He remarked, “They scored two quick goals in the beginning of the second half which of course closed the result. It is disappointing to have conceded them because we can do better and of course Anderlecht is a strong team who kept pushing beyond this. However, I cannot fault my team, I know that they gave it their all, and perhaps gave even more than they could give.”
Birkirkara’s defender Charlene Zammit provided insight into the contrasts between facing Breznica Pljevlja and Anderlecht, “Speaking from a defensive standpoint Breznica play a direct game and we were in control of most of the possession and playing a high line. So, it is in a sense trickier because when possession is lost, they build very directly which can catch the defence out of shape more often and you have to cover a fifty-metre run against the attacker. Anderlecht operate with more tactical short passes, but the team was set up to be more compact and then it is a question of being more disciplined tactically to close spaces.”
Breznica’s goalkeeper Svetlana Milicic was one of the standouts for the team in both matches. She was elated to have supported the team with her efforts against Red Star Belgrade, “I am very happy to have played a good game to try to avoid conceding as much as possible and keep the team in the match for as long as possible. I am proud of the team, we gave everything that we had, both players and staff.”
Meanwhile, the young goalkeeper also underlined the differences between Birkirkara and Red Star Belgrade’s attacks, with the latter requiring the goalkeeper to take more of a sweeping stance, “I thought Red Star Belgrade was a tougher game because they were more aggressive and I had to track a lot more.”
5. No Rest For The Wicked
Anderlecht’s coach Dennis Moerman acknowledged the importance of strong results in the first round to build confidence. However, the coach is eyeing Monday’s draw for the next stage, knowing that it can throw up very different strengths of opponents.
He said, “Qualifying with these types of results is definitely a confidence boost, but we must also have a realistic view that opponents in Round 2 can be of very different strengths. However, we are hopeful for a good draw and perhaps we can even be the Ajax of this season and achieve many things. We definitely hope to go far in the competition.”
As for the other teams in the group, they will assess achievements knowing that they will need to have a strong domestic season to return to the competition next year.
Red Star Belgrade’s Bojan Macesic underlined the desire for the team to return and build on their debut, “This was a big experience for the team. It means a lot because it will motivate the team to work even harder this season to win the title and the cup, so that we return to the UEFA Women’s Champions League.”
Birkirkara’s Charlene Zammit weighed the two matches in view of the recent successes of Birkirkara in the competition, “I think looking at the tournament we played good football. We had chances against Anderlecht and still tried to play our own game, despite knowing their strength and depth, as well as having played 120 minutes on Wednesday. However, ultimately you have to give them props and acknowledge that they are a great team. We managed another win against Breznica, who came to Malta very determined to get revenge for last year. The team showed great character to come back from behind and secure that victory. So, it is satisfying to achieve another win with the team in the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the third year running.”
Birkirkara’s coach Vince Galea echoed the sentiment, while shifting focus onto winning the record-breaking thirteenth domestic title, “It has been a positive week overall. We had a lot of young players with us who have also gained a valuable experience. We will have to assess our injuries, including to Steph(ania Farrugia) and direct our focus on the league, with the aim to do well domestically. There are no regrets about this week and we will look to build on the positives.”
The UEFA Women’s Champions League draw for round two will be held later today at 13:00 CET.
Lead Images: Brandon Bonett / Lara Schembri
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