Women's Champions League: Bristol Academy 2-1 Raheny United (6-1 agg)

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Angharad JamesImage source, The FA
Image caption,

Angharad James scored Bristol Academy's second of the night

Bristol Academy will meet Barcelona in the last 16 of the Women's Champions League after beating Raheny United 6-1 on aggregate.

The Vixens, who finished seventh in the Women's Super league this season, took a 4-0 lead into Thursday's home second leg at Ashton Gate.

Spanish striker Natalia slotted in to break the deadlock on the night before Angharad James doubled Bristol's lead.

Pearl Slattery pulled one back for Raheny but it was a mere consolation.

It is the first time Bristol have progressed past the last 32, having lost to Russian side Energiya Voronezh in 2011, and they are the last English side left in the competition after Liverpool's defeat by Linkopings.

Barcelona are the holders and three-time winners of Primera Division - Spain's top flight in the women's game - and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season, losing out to Wolfsburg.

Bristol in the Champions League

Bristol Academy made their Champions League debut in the 2011-2012 season after reaching the FA Cup final

They failed to progress out of the last round of 32, losing 5-3 on aggregate to Russian side Energiya Voronezh

Bristol qualified for this year's competition after finishing second in last season's WSL table

The Spaniards beat Slavia Prague 4-0 over two legs to book a place in the last 16 and will welcome Bristol to their home ground - the training facility of Barcelona men's team - on 8 or 9 November, with the return leg in England the following week.

Dave Edmondson's Bristol side were firm favourites to progress after an impressive first-leg victory in Dublin last week.

And although Raheny battled hard, they failed to make an unlikely comeback.

In a first half of few chances, Bristol striker Nikki Watts saw two powerful volleys collected by keeper Niamh Reid Burke.

The Vixens could have found themselves in trouble just before the half-time whistle when Raheny striker Katie McCabe was brought down on the edge of the box but referee Marija Kurtes waved away the visitors' vocal appeals.

Bristol came out much brighter after the break and they soon made it 1-0 on the night when Natalia side-footed home after being teed-up by Watts.

James put the result far beyond doubt when she finished from a tight angle inside the box.

Raheny did have something to celebrate, though, when on 73 minutes Slattery popped up to head home a free-kick.

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