We were made to rue missed chances in the second half as our pre-season opener ended goalless in Seville, but there was a number of positives to take from Martin Ho’s side first pre-season outing in 2025/26.
With temperatures at almost 40 degrees at kick-off, building on an intense week of training in Spain, it was no surprise that both sides gradually grew into the game at Estadio Jesus Navas and, although we threaten on occasions, we were indebted to a superb stop from Lize Kop midway through the first period to keep it level.
Our best opportunities of the contest came five minutes after the restart, Jess Naz denied by Isabel Alvarez Tenorio on the stretch and that was quickly followed by Martha Thomas’ shot on the turn tipped around the post by Esther Sullastres Ayuso. Matilda Vinberg was then denied by the hosts' shot stopper as we were unable to find the breakthrough in a much-improved second-half display.
It was a useful first outing in pre-season as a number of players completed 90 minutes and defender Tōko Koga, who joined last month from Feyenoord, made her first appearance for the Club, giving our new Head Coach plenty to work with in the coming weeks.
Adapting to the warm temperatures in the southern region of Spain, chances were few and far between in the first period, although our number one produced an important stop to her left to deny Cham midway through the half. We registered our first opportunity on 13 minutes when Drew Spence fizzed a low ball across the face of the goal but no one was there to tap home before the experienced midfielder was then on the end of an opening herself minutes later, sending a header just over the bar after latching onto Vinberg’s chipped ball into the box.
Despite our strong start to proceedings, it was the hosts who carved out the best chance of the game as Cham raced behind our backline, one-on-one with Kop, but our shot stopper denied the forward with a great reaction save down to her left. Rose Marquez Baena fired over on the half-volley following a good move from the home side, while Spence drilled low into the keepers’ hands after being teed up by Jess Naz just inside the 18-yard box, as no side could break the deadlock in the first 45 minutes.
We were denied twice by a superb piece of defending and a strong save just five minutes after the restart. Vinberg fed the ball into Drew Spence in the middle, around 25 yards out, she then flicked it on to Jess Naz just inside the box but she was denied by a sliding Isabel Alvarez Tenorio. From the resulting corner, the ball fell to Thomas on the penalty as her effort on the turn was tipped around the post by substitute goalkeeper Ayuso.
Seville’s shot stopper was in fine form once again on 69 minutes, tipping over Vinberg’s powerful effort from the left area of the box after Spence played the ball into the forward. Substitute Bethany England's shot found the hands of Ayuso following Spence’s low cross into box and, in stoppage time, Eveliina Summanen directed a free-kick just narrowly wide as we were unable to find the breakthrough late on.