Manchester United began their quest to qualify for the Women’s Champions League by cruising to a 4-0 victory over PSV as Elisabeth Terland scored a hat-trick and the midfielder Julia Zigiotti Olme impressed on her debut.
Terland’s classy treble, which was accompanied by a close-range finish from Celin Bizet, guaranteed Marc Skinner’s side some form of European football because their worst-case scenario would now be a place in the new second-tier Women’s Europa Cup. Their aim, however, is to join Arsenal and Chelsea in the Champions League and, on Wednesday’s evidence, they have a strong chance of doing so.
United will face Hammarby of Sweden or Metalist 1925 Kharkiv of Ukraine on Saturday in a 6pm BST kick-off in the final of their mini-competition in this second round of qualifying. All four sides in this mini group are playing this week’s ties in Stockholm, at the 3Arena, with Hammarby the hosts. If United win on Saturday they would face a two-leg knockout tie in September for a place in the expanded league phase of the Champions League.
Thankfully for United fans, their victory over PSV was significantly more straightforward than trying to follow that rather complex qualifying procedure. The Women’s Super League side took total control very early, giving PSV’s players scarcely any time on the ball with a well-orchestrated high press, and their tactics led to the opening goal.
The United midfielder Lisa Naalsund, pressing the PSV defence, capitalised on a loose pass, intercepted the ball and slotted an easy pass across to Terland, who had space and time to tuck a good finish into the bottom right corner with less than seven minutes played.
Zigiotti Olme, one of the stronger performers for Sweden at Euro 2025 and part of their side that faced England in a dramatic quarter-final, is one of two United summer signings so far, arriving from Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee, and she struck the post early on with a left-footed effort. It was a clear chance spurned but the midfielder has every reason to be pleased with her energetic and purposeful performance. She looked composed and confident on the ball, helped drive the team forward and was exemplary with her work rate as Skinner’s team dominated in midfield.
It was not long before it was 2-0, when Anna Sandberg’s left-wing cross led to a shot for Ella Toone, whose effort was saved but palmed only as far as Bizet, who lifted the rebound into the roof of the net. Eight minutes after half-time, Terland got her second after a strong pass from Toone set her up, and the striker had her hat-trick in the 63rd minute when she raced through the middle and fired home with another good finish.
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United, who are taking part in this stage of qualifying by virtue of their third-placed finish in the WSL last term, were without their second summer signing, Fridolina Rolfö, who will be out for two or three weeks with a slight knock. Also absent were Rachel Williams, Leah Galton and the England midfielder Grace Clinton, who missed the trip with a “little niggle”, Skinner said, but United made light work of this first hurdle on their journey towards potentially joining Europe’s elite.