Wrexham Women win Champions League debut 4-2 over FC Pyunik

Published Jul 23, 08:50 PM UTC

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Wrexham Women celebrated their historic Women's Champions League debut with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Armenian champions FC Pyunik in the first qualifying round semi-final at the Racecourse Ground. After falling behind to Susanna Badalya's 12th-minute goal, Wrexham equalized quickly through Katie Barker. Lili Jones put them ahead early in the second half, and Ava Suckley extended the lead before Luiza Ghazaryan pulled one back for Pyunik. New signing Natasha Thomas sealed the win late in the match. Wrexham, who qualified by winning the Adran Premier for the first time, will face Riga of Estonia in Saturday's final. The victory marked the first time a Welsh team had won a Champions League match since Cardiff Met in 2019-20. Head coach Jenny Sugarman praised her team's resilience and spirit.

Source report

By Dylan Griffiths, BBC Sport Wales At Racecourse Ground, Wrexham

Wrexham celebrated their Women's Champions League debut with a thrilling 4-2 victory against FC Pyunik in the first qualifying round semi-final at the Racecourse.

Jenny Sugarman's side will face Riga of Estonia — who earlier beat Glentoran 4-1 — in Saturday's first qualifying round final.

Wrexham were making their European debut after winning the Adran Premier for the first time in their history last season. Their victory marked the first time a team from Wales had won a Champions League match since Cardiff Met in the 2019-20 season.

Match Summary

12' — Armenian champions FC Pyunik took the lead when Susanna Badalya capitalised on a poor clearance from Wrexham goalkeeper Liz Craven, firing home from outside the penalty box.
Instant response — A strong run from Faye Knox down the left and a perfect cross met by Katie Barker settled the home side's nerves.
First half — Barker, the former Newcastle United striker, came close to scoring a second but her effort was saved by Pyunik goalkeeper Amber Lockwood.
50' — Wrexham took the lead when Lili Jones' right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area took a slight deflection and sailed into the top corner.
62' — Lockwood fumbled Jones' shot, and Ava Suckley pounced to tap home from close range.
Pyunik response — Luiza Ghazaryan's powerful shot gave Craven no chance, keeping the Armenian side in the game.
Late drama — Wrexham winger Knox missed a great chance for a fourth goal, but new signing Natasha Thomas sealed a historic victory in the dying stages. She also struck the bar in added time.

Post-Match Reaction

Wrexham head coach Jenny Sugarman said:

"Sometimes we don't make things easy for ourselves, but I think everyone enjoys that bit of drama.

"To go behind and come back so quickly is so important, otherwise you give the opposition the upper hand.

"We work really hard on our team spirit, and it isn't something that happens on accident. The values and principles that we have aren't just things on a wall — it's something that we epitomise every day."

Source

BBC SportWestern

Original headline: Wrexham win on Women's Champions League debut

Original language: EN-GB

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Wrexham Women Win on Champions League Debut with 4-2 Victory Over FC Pyunik

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People and interests

Wales Armenia