Early kick-off, empty stadium? No problem, as Man United's women march on
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STOCKHOLM - Manchester United moved closer to a place in the revamped group stage of the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday with a 4-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven in Stockholm, but the midday kick-off saw only 387 spectators in the 30,000-capacity stadium.
An Elisabeth Terland hat-trick and a goal from Celin Bizet Donnum were celebrated by a small contingent of travelling fans, whose cheers echoed through the largely empty Stockholm Arena.
"We're used to playing at 12 o'clock on a Sunday at home in the league - when you know the game is so early, you just have to find a way to manage it," Terland told Reuters.
The match was part of a four-team mini-tournament as clubs compete for a spot in the 18-team group stage. Nine clubs, including reigning champions Arsenal, have already secured direct entry, while the others must navigate up to three rounds of qualifiers.
United will face Stockholm side Hammarby, who beat FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv of Ukraine 5-4 in a thriller later in the evening, in Saturday's final.
The winners of the mini-tournament will advance to the final qualifying round, while the losers of the final and the third-placed team will drop into the inaugural Women’s Europa Cup.
Hammarby coach Martin Sjogren praised the new format as a boost for smaller clubs.
"I see the new format as very interesting, and it seems to favour the less-big clubs a little, playing different opponents only once instead of the old four-team groups with double-headers. I really hope that we can make our way all the way to the final tournament," Sjogren told Reuters.
United fan Fiona Lynch, one of the few supporters in attendance at Wednesday's early game, expressed excitement about the club’s European prospects.
"It's really important as a fan to experience these opportunities. We don't know how often it'll happen ... but it's memories for life," Lynch said, noting that she plans to travel for future matches if she can get time off work.
Lynch is staying in Stockholm for the conclusion of the mini-tournament on Saturday evening, with United aiming to secure their spot in the next phase of the Women’s Champions League. REUTERS
