Khadija Shaw expressed Manchester City’s disappointment over their performance in the match against Real Madrid, believing they should have emerged victorious, despite a late goal from Madrid being ruled out by referee Silvia Gasperotti.
After their 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the opening match of the 2026-27 Champions League last week, City once again found themselves sharing the points, this time finishing 1-1 at home.
Linda Caicedo put Madrid ahead with a goal in the 29th minute, and City had little to argue about regarding their deficit at halftime, having only managed five shots compared to Madrid’s 11.
However, City improved significantly in the second half, leveling the score when Shaw found the net following a pass from Yui Hasegawa in the 51st minute.
By the end of the match, City recorded 1.69 expected goals (xG) against Madrid’s 0.89, with both teams taking 16 shots. However, Madrid’s coach Pau Quesada was outraged when Silvia Cristobal’s late goal was disallowed, as the referee had inadvertently interfered with Beth Mead near the edge of City’s penalty area.
Shaw believed that if City had maintained their second-half intensity throughout the entire match, they would have secured a win.
“Looking at the game, we definitely performed better in the second half than we did in the first. It’s something we need to address as a team,” Shaw told Disney+.
“While we’re disappointed not to secure a win, we fought hard until the end, which is commendable.
“In the first half, our pressing allowed them too much time. In the second half, we applied pressure higher up the pitch, and that forced them into making mistakes.
“Had we done that in the first half, the outcome might have been different.”
Reflecting on her goal, Shaw shared, “In the box, I focus on keeping calm around the players and honing that skill in training.
It’s what she does pic.twitter.com/Oqxb3GGhwO
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) October 1, 2026
“Sometimes the opportunities don’t arise, but more often, my teammates look for me. I strive to remain calm and focused on the goal.
“Depending on what the defenders offer, if they give me space, I know I can turn and get a shot off.”
Thursday’s draw halted City’s impressive streak of seven consecutive home wins in the Champions League, the longest ever recorded by an English team in this competition.
On the other hand, Madrid has only won one of their last ten Champions League encounters against English teams, with their only victory being a 2-0 win against Arsenal in the 2024-25 quarter-finals.
Their win rate against teams from the Women’s Super League (WSL) stands at a mere 10%, marking the lowest against teams from any individual country in the competition (with at least three games played).
—
This match highlighted the competitive nature of women’s soccer, showcasing that even top teams like Manchester City need to maintain consistency throughout the game. For fans, this underscores the unpredictability of the Champions League, making each match a thrilling spectacle and further elevating the sport’s growing profile.
Source: www.soccernews.com
