Manchester City captain Alex Greenwood has described Barcelona as the “best club in the world” ahead of their opening Champions League fixture.
City are getting ready to play the reigning European champions a sold-out Joie Stadium, having not been part of the competition at all last season. In the two previous seasons, the club was surprisingly knocked out in the qualifying rounds, so have never played in the group stage since it was introduced.
“We are really looking forward to it,” Greenwood said. “We’ve missed out the last couple of years and I’ve been really frustrated by that, but we’ve worked really hard to be in this position and we are in a competition where we belong.”
As well as Barcelona, City will come up against Hammarby and St Polten in the group stage.
However, the left-back believes facing Barcelona in their opening game is an opportunity to prove why the club should be seen as a real threat at this level.
“They are the champions for a reason,” she said. “We massively respect Barcelona, but we’ll try and bring our game and oppose ourselves on them. They are the best team in the world.
“They’ve been dominant in both their league and in Europe over the last couple of years. I think individually and collectively, they are a top team. We are excited to test ourselves against the best – that’s what football is all about.”
City have made a solid start in the Barclays Women’s Super League and sittop of the table.
90min asked Greenwood how much their unbeaten run domestically has helped instill confidence in the squad as they prepare to begin their Champions League campaign.
“I think winning games in general breeds confidence,” the defender explained. “We have very high standards and everyone has played a part in all the games we’ve won.”
The game will also mark the first time the 31-year-old has played in a Champions League game since being named captain of the squad, following Steph Houghton’s retirement.
Speaking about how her time in that role has been so far, Greenwood added: “I suppose when you are winning, things are nice and easy. I’m the same person I was last season and I am today, not much has changed for me. I’m really fortunate that I’ve got people around me, including the staff, the club and players who support me on and off the pitch.
“We have a leadership group, who are also so important. The transition for me has been really easy.”
Barcelona will be attempting to claim their third successive Champions League title, something only eight-time winners Lyon, who won five in a row from 2016 to 2020, have ever previously achieved.
“[Barcelona’s] mentality to win is evident,” said Greenwood. “If you look at both teams, I think we’re probably similar to that extent, even in the way we play – both with and without the ball. But we also have differences.
“Confidence in the team is massive because they’ve won a lot of football matches and they’ve been champions. I’m giving them a lot of respect because they deserve it, but for us, we are fully prepared for tomorrow and we are focused on winning the game.”
