Key events
15 min: Anyomi is nearly on to a ball through into space, behind the Barcelona defence. Prasnikar has a long-range sight of an open goal after Coll came rushing out. She lofts an effort which is probably dropping in, but Paredes is on hand to take it down and pass it out calmly. Panic over.
12 min: Reuteler goes down injured while looking to hit Barça on the break. I am not sure who made the challenge, was it Batlle? Anyway, Barcelona boot the ball out so Reuteler can receive treatment. She’s OK to carry on.
9 min: Barcelona’s Caldentey has a shot from around the penalty spot which deflects out for a corner off a defender. Nothing doing from the corner. It’s all Barça, though.
7 min: Pretty passing pattens from Barça. Paralluelo is involved again. But the Frankfurt defence holds firm.
As tonight’s commentator just pointed out, it would have been nice for the Germans if Rosengård had managed a win against Benfica. Frankfurt have to better Benfica’s result tonight, so now only a win will do.
4 min: Hansen bends an imperious ball into the middle, curled around the defensive cover, looking for Paralluelo. There’s a hint of a foul by Doorsoun, the Frankfurt central defender, after Paralluelo controls Hansen’s handsome delivery, but the referee ain’t having it.
3 min: Barcelona build ominously again. Hansen receives the ball in a bit of space just outside the area on the right, and opts to shoot early, looking for the far corner back across Johannes in goal. It’s a decent option but the shot is charged down.
2 min: Remember, Frankfurt have to win to maintain any chance of going through. Barça start on the front foot, with Bonmati getting involved, but the visitors demonstrate their intentions with a quick counter.
First half kick-off!
Let’s do this.
Meanwhile, some serious news from domestic women’s football:
A formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack has been opened by the Football Association.
Cusack died aged 27 in September last year. A week after her death, her family are understood to have sent a written complaint to United outlining a range of issues she had been facing, which they said all stemmed from her treatment by the club’s manager, Jonathan Morgan.
Five minutes until kick-off. Now we just need the live feed to appear on DAZN’s YouTube, and we’re ready to go!
Full time! Rosengård 2-2 Benfica
The Swedish side have troubled the scorers in Group A! They are off the mark with their first point in five games thanks to Mai Kadowaki’s late equaliser. And that means, pleasingly, that the forthcoming Barcelona v Eintracht Frankfurt tie is not a dead rubber!
Ella Braidwood
For Sabah Mahmood, coach of east London side FC Leytonstone’s under-14 girls, Lauren James’ hat-trick during Chelsea’s 3-1 dismantling of Manchester United on Sunday wasn’t the only highlight. It was also seeing Fran Kirby come on as a second-half substitute, with the club’s all-time top scorer having recently spoken out about body image pressures in football. “Fran Kirby comes on and my girls just went crazy!” says Mahmood, who took her team to the match after taking up an invite from Brown Girl Sport, which advocates for south Asian girls in sport.
While you’re waiting for kick-off, why not read Suzanne Wrack on the consistently brilliant Aitana Bonmatí?
It’s all square in Malmö! Mai Kadowaki tucks away a smart finish for the hosts and it’s 2-2 now, which means Frankfurt would be back in with a mathematical chance.
Will Frankfurt’s hopes be ended before they’ve even begun? Benfica continue to lead in Sweden …
Teams
Barça Women are unchanged from the team that hammered Levante 7-0 to win the Spanish Super Cup last Saturday.
Barcelona Women: Coll, Bronze, Paredes, Engen, Batlle, Bonmati, Walsh, Guijarro, Hansen, Caldentey, Paralluelo. Substitutes: Pina, Torrejon, Vilamala, Oshoala, Brugts, Gemma Font, Dragoni, Lopez, Martina Fernandez, Corrales.
Eintracht Frankfurt Women: Johannes, Wolter, Doorsoun, Kleinherne, Hanshaw, Reuteler, Pawollek, Dunst, Anyomi, Freigang, Prasnikar. Substitutes: Grawe, Martinez, Brengel, Kirchberger, Ilayda Acikgoz, Johann, Riesen, Aehling, Veit, Bosl, Dilara Acikgoz.
Take a look at the table. If Benfica see out this 2-1 win in Malmö, Eintracht Frankfurt can pack their bags. They’re out.
Benfica have just scored again in Sweden. They lead Rosengård 2-1, so Eintracht Frankfurt are in danger of going out before they kick off against Barça …
Preamble
What are the permutations in Women’s Champions League Group A? Well here’s the thing: Barcelona are already through with four wins from four, while it looks as if Eintracht Frankfurt may be thrown a lifeline by Rosengård, who are currently drawing 1-1 with Benfica at fortress Malmö Idrottsplats.
Frankfurt simply need to better Benfica’s result this evening to stay in the hunt going into the final round of matches, so if Benfica don’t find a winner in Sweden, a draw or a victory against Barcelona would mean the Germans still have a chance.
Let’s do this. Kick-off: 8pm UK time.