PREVIEW: Manchester City v Tomiris-Turan | OneFootball

Manchester City get their UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign underway on Thursday evening when they take on Kazakhstani club Tomiris-Turan in a Round 1 semi-final tie.

The tie is being played on neutral territory in Madrid. The winners of the match will face either Real Madrid or Sturm Graz in the Round 1 final on Sunday to determine which club will go into the Round 2 draw.

Manchester City head coach Gareth Taylor confirmed in his pre-match press conference that England forward Ellen White will not feature in Spain as she is taking an extended break for personal reasons. Young centre-back Ruby Mace also misses out with an injury sustained whilst on international duty with the England youth set up. Taylor could offer debuts to up to six players against his side’s first opponents of the new season.

Tomiris-Turan have been in competitive action throughout the summer. They recorded a 3-2 home victory over FC Okzhetpes a little over a week ago. The Kazakhstani club are currently occupying third position in their league.

Tomiris-Turan are relatively new to the women’s elite game and head coach Pyotr Pak has a youthful squad at his disposal. The club have five players aged under 20 while defender Aigerim Aitymova is the oldest player in the squad at just 29. A handful of Tomiris-Turan players are senior internationals with the Kazakhstani national team.

Manchester City’s UEFA Women’s Champions League Round 1 semi-final tie against Tomiris-Turan kicks-off at 8pm on Thursday evening. Fans can stream the match live on City+.