Brann 2-0 Glasgow City (agg 6-0): Norwegians comfortably into Women's Champions League group stage
- Published
Marthine Ostenstad scored Brann's opening goal in Bergen
Glasgow City never looked like overturning Brann's commanding first-leg advantage as the Norwegians moved comfortably into the Women's Champions League group stage with a two-goal win.
Marthine Ostenstad's close-range finish after 34 minutes ended any lingering visiting hopes before Nora Eide Lie added a stunning second on the night.
But the damage had been done in the first leg, when the Norwegians scored three times in the opening 45 minutes and left with a 4-0 lead to all but secure a first group-stage appearance.
City hoped to rekindle the spirit that had taken them to the quarter-finals in 2014 and 2019.
Women's football, though, has advanced to more professional times and threatens to leave behind clubs like City, unattached as they are to the finances of a larger men's club.
They were also facing a side who had scored 29 times without conceding in their previous eight outings.
Rakel Engesvik, scorer of two goals at Petershill Park, looked to have slotted her sixth in six games only for a handball to thwart the midfielder, whose clever passing and movement was also keeping the visiting rearguard pinned back in the early stages.
City goalkeeper Lee Gibson did well to turn a Larissa Crummer shot over the crossbar when the Austrian forward was through one-on-one and, from the corner, an Ingrid Stenevik effort was blocked in front of goal.
The Scottish champions were rarely seen as an attacking force and, when they did manage to venture forward, decision-making deserted them just when it looked like they might threaten home goalkeeper Aurora Mikalsen.
When Ostenstad bundled the ball home after Gibson could only flap an inswinging free-kick off the line, the tie was all but over with three quarters of the game still remaining.
Gibson's fingertips prevented defender Marit Bratberg Lund adding to her first-leg goal with a curling free-kick after the break.
However, home head coach Martin Ho felt comfortable enough to withdraw some of his top performers after an hour before the weekend visit of domestic leaders Rosenborg.
Indeed, it was not until the 70th-minute when City threatened an equaliser on the night, Scotland winger Lauren Davidson firing just wide.
It looked like Brann were happy to settle for a single-goal win as they toyed with the visitors until Eide Lie unleashed a thundering 25-yarder past Gibson with four minutes remaining.
The side sitting fourth in Norway's top flight had deservedly become their country's first to reach the Champions League group stage.
With Celtic having exited in the previous round, Scotland was left still waiting for hers and Leanne Ross' crestfallen City must now concentrate on the Scottish Women's Premier League campaign as they look to claw back the five-point gap between themselves and their city rivals.
What they said
Glasgow City head coach Leanne Ross: "I'm really proud of the team and the effort we put in. We've had to make a few changes to the starting line-up tonight because of injuries and illness, so the players that have come in, they've really worked their socks off and, to be honest, I don't think we deserved to lose that second goal at the end there.
"The schedule's been really demanding and we are really lucky we've got a really talented and big squad, but even at that, it's pushed us to our limits."