Glasgow lose narrowly to Koge in Europa Cup first leg

Glasgow City must come from behind if they are to progress to the last 16 of the inaugural Women’s Europa Cup after a 2-1 defeat by Koge in Denmark.

Mille Gejl’s stunning opener for the hosts was cancelled out by Amy Anderson’s close-range finish, but Olivia Garcia’s thundering second-half strike gave the Danes a deserved victory.

The three-time Danish champions, who finished third last term, reached the second qualifying round by easing aside Romanian side Farul Constanța 6-2 on aggregate, while the 16-time Scottish champions hammered Athlone Town 6-0.

Both entered the game full of confidence and last season’s SWPL runners-up dominated the early possession, but they had rarely crossed the halfway line by the time Lee Gibson was forced into an 18th-minute double save.

The Scotland goalkeeper parried a powerful shot from on-loan Kansas City Current winger Flora Marta Lacho and then denied former Everton forward Rikke Madsen on the rebound.

Denmark international Madsen volleyed just over from edge of the penalty box, Lacho headed straight at Gibson, who then saved at Garcia’s feet, while fellow American full-back Macy Schultz headed just wide.

It was no surprise when the greater power and speed displayed by hosts honed by Scottish fitness coach Kieran McManus led to a 32nd-minute opener.

Denmark and former Crystal Palace midfielder Gejl, weaved inside a couple of challenges and fired in off the far post from 16 yards.

City, though, hit back nine minutes later with their first sojourn into the home penalty box.

Haley Lauder’s free-kick to the back post deflected into the path of fellow midfielder Anderson to stab home from inside the six-yard box.

However, on the hour mark, the visitors paid for hesitancy as they attempted to play out from the back as American midfielder Garcia pounced to fire home from just outside the penalty box.

Gibson then struggled to turn Jereko’s shot just over and, when the corner fell to the on-loan Kansas City midfielder, her excellent volley fizzed just wide.

City still had chances for a second equaliser and it was Ema Aleksić’s turn to make a double save, parrying a low drive from Nicole Kozlova and pushing fellow forward Sofia Maatta’s follow-up into the side netting.

Kozlova had another chance to score against her former club when the home goalkeeper failed to gather a pass back but was thwarted by a last-ditch challenge before it was Gibson’s turn again to block a Sarah Thygesen shot with her legs.

Glasgow City head coach Leanne Ross: “A really tough game, physically especially. They are a very good team and they move the ball really quick and I felt we’ve had to work really hard out of possession tonight and then probably never covered ourselves in glory in terms of how we possessed the ball.

Koge: Aleksic, Schultz, Brandt, Uhre, Markvardsen, Garcia, Jereko, Gejl, Lacho, Madsen, Korhonen.

Substitutes: Moller, Bindner, Pelkowski, Nadim, Thygesen, Sehested, Bagger, Oskarsdottir, Simonsen, Luplau, AC Hansen.

Glasgow City: Alexander, Muir, Golob, Smit, Evans, Lauder, Anderson, Motlhalo, Forrest, Kozlova, Maatta.