Manchester City have done their homework on UWCL minnows Tomiris-Turan insists Taylor | OneFootball

Manchester City head coach Gareth Taylor says that he is clued up on this evening’s UEFA Women’s Champions League Round 1 opponents Tomiris-Turan despite there being little spotlight on the Kazakhstani league.

The Cityzens will look to bounce back from last season’s European disappointment when they contest a one-off Round 1 semi-final tie against Tomiris-Turan at the Campo 11, Real Madrid Training Complex, Spain.

Manchester City face an opponent of unknown quantity in Tomiris-Turan, making Taylor’s preparations harder than usual. The Kazakhstani outfit are making their debut in this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League after finishing second in their domestic league last season, securing their European spot.

“We have managed to get some footage (of them),” said Taylor when speaking in the pre-match press conference. “It took a while but they are quite an aggressive team. They come out and try to engage man-for-man – this is what we’ve seen previously. Whether they do that against us or not remains to be seen but we’re prepared for that.

“Yeah, it was limited but we have managed to do as much homework as we could.”

The blue side of Manchester spent most of last season embroiled in a European qualification battle, pipping rivals United to third spot in the Barclays Women’s Super League table on the final day, ensuring their participation in the UEFA Women’s Champions League for another season. Taylor believes that his side are much stronger going into the new campaign than they were 12 month’s ago following the Olympic Games. He insists that the quick turnaround from the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 will not hinder City’s level of performance.

Taylor stated “I think sometimes the issue you can have is giving them too long off to condition. This summer, we’re in better shape with the squad in terms of numbers; certainly, healthy numbers at the moment. Obviously, we had to cut the time available because we’re limited on what we could give the players in terms of rest after a tough EUROs and a tough end to last season as well but it remains to be seen.

“We need to get through this first period in August and then the season starts after an international break, which for us, is very strange but it is what it is and the girls will come back looking bright, looking sharp and ready for the challenge.

Manchester City’s UEFA Women’s Champions League Round 1 semi-final tie against Tomiris-Turan kicks-off at 8pm. This evening’s winners will encounter the victors of the Real Madrid and Sturm Graz semi-final tie on Sunday to determine who will advance to Round 2.