Gareth Taylor has said Manchester City are ready for their Women’s Champions League clash with Barcelona despite it being a “really tough challenge” for their opening fixture.

City cruised into this season’s group stage after thrashing Paris FC, proving why they should be seen as a real threat this time around after failing to qualify for Europe altogether last year.

“We are really proud to have pushed really hard [during the qualifications process] and got a lot of our preparation right,” said Taylor.

“Having to do that during a busy period at the start of a season and then to face qualifiers is tough, but the team came through really well. We are really excited to play to a full house at the Joie Stadim against one of the best. I think it’s going to be a really tough challenge for us, but a really exciting one as well.”

City are coming up against back-to-back title champions Barcelona in their opening game, but Taylor has insisted it’s importance for the team to control the game.

“Both these teams are stacked with individual talent,” he explained. “We want to see the best players on the best stage and ultimately that’s what everyone is expecting.

“Hopefully we get a few more on our side than we do on the opposition, but for us it’s about controlling what we do. We know we’re coming up against a good opponent who’s very good in the attacking phase. Also we feel that there are areas on the pitch within their team that we can really exploit.

“I’m excited about the game because I think it’s a good indication of where we are at and the journey we are on. We want to achieve what they’ve done.”

The game will also see the return of England international Keira Walsh, who spent eight years at Manchester City, before making the move to Barcelona in the summer of 2022.

“We can go through the team individually, but obviously we will see the return of Keira Walsh,” explained Taylor. “She is a top player and she performed supremely for us, for Barcelona and for England.”

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