Manchester United beat Vålerenga 1-0 in Women's Champions League

Manchester United marked their debut in the UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase with a 1-0 victory over Vålerenga on Wednesday evening at Leigh Sports Village, securing three points in a tightly contested match decided by a first-half penalty. The captain, Maya Le Tissier, converted from the spot in the 31st minute after Vålerenga defender Arna Eiríksdóttir was penalised for handball, and United held on for a landmark win in front of home supporters.

Marc Skinner’s side controlled much of the game, creating a string of chances in the opening period. Elisabeth Terland’s glancing header went narrowly wide inside the first minute and Melvine Malard and Hinata Miyazawa tested visiting goalkeeper Tove Enblom on separate occasions. United’s keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce was rarely troubled, and Enblom produced several vital saves to keep the visitors in the match as United struggled to convert dominance into a larger margin.

Le Tissier described the night as “special,” saying the occasion — the club’s first competitive game at this stage of Europe’s premier club competition — meant “the world to us” after years of building the women’s programme. She reflected on the difficulty of...