PLAYER RATINGS - MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 2-0 BARCELONA FEMENI

Image courtesy of independent.co.uk

Manchester City made a piece of UEFA Women's Champions League history by beating current holders Barcelona at the Joie Stadium thanks to goals from Naomi Layzell and Bunny Shaw.

Layzell scrambled the ball over the line 10 minutes before the break following a corner for her first goal since joining from Bristol City in the summer and to give City the lead in a first half they dominated.

Barcelona got back into the game and had chances through the likes of Alexia Putellas and Caroline Graham Hansen, but Shaw finished off the game by sliding the ball into an empty net after rounding the goalkeeper.

City were the better team on the day and thoroughly deserved their three points and are now in a good position to qualify from the group in first place.

They're in equally good shape in the Women's Super League, where they'll be hoping to clinch the trophy this time around after losing out narrowly to Chelsea last year.

Here are the player ratings from City's monumental triumph over the European champions:

Yamashita - 6.5/10 - Didn't have much to do other than make a few basic saves. Distribution could've been better throughout although it never really caused her team any issues.

Layzell - 9/10 - Battled like a warrior all match at right back, keeping Putellas quiet and getting a goal her all round brilliant performance deserved. Hopefully her injury isn't as serious as it looked, as she'll be a big miss for the Blues.

Aleixandri - 9/10 - Put her body on the line time after time to make last ditch tackles and blocks. Helped City play out from the back and hardly gave Ewa Pajor a sniff.

Greenwood - 8/10 - City's skipper was essential in breaking through Barcelona's initial press with her line breaking passing and played more than her part in the defensive effort too.

Casparij - 8.5/10 - Like Layzell, she was super aggressive in winning duels high up the pitch and played a big part in City's defending both high up the pitch and in their own box.

Hasegawa - 8/10 - Controlled the tempo of the match and won the midfield ahead of the likes of Aitana Bonmati and former City player Keira Walsh. Hasegawa is one of the best in the world in her position and this performance exemplified it.

Fowler - 6.5/10 - Got a lot of the ball and looked dangerous but her end product was lacking for the most part.

Park - 8.5/10 - Ran her socks off all game and wasn't at all phased by the excellent technicians Barcelona had at their disposal in midfield, not looking out of place at all and looking both a chance creating and goal scoring threat.

Miedema - 7.5/10 - Perhaps less than involved than the rest of City's attackers but got an assist for Layzell's goal with a header across the face of goal and linked up well with Lauren Hemp on City's left hand side.

Hemp - 9/10 - Looked a threat whenever she received the ball in space, but what was more impressive than anything is the way she tracked back and helped Casparij out of possession and her maturity in decision making on the ball. A fine footballer who is developing into one of the world's very best.

Shaw - 9/10 - Must be a nightmare for any defender to deal with, as Shaw appears to look faster, taller and stronger than any other player on the pitch. A physical freak of nature, she tested Barcelona's backline all night and got a thoroughly deserved goal.

Substitutes:

Roord - 7/10 - Helped secure the midfield and allow City to see the game out in a controlled fashion.

Fujino - 6.5/10 - Offered energy off the bench but didn't have much chance to do anything else.

Kennedy - Not enough time to make an impact.