Eddie Wolecki Black, the Glasgow City head coach, yesterday acknowledged that his side have been given an outstanding chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League for the first time.
The multiple Scottish champions were pitted against Polish debutants KKPC Medyk Konin when the last-32 draw was made in Nyon. If they win through to the last 16 they will meet either FC Zurich Frauen or Croatian champions ZNK Osijek. All three clubs were seeded lower than City (13th) in the draw.
"In the past we have found ourselves playing Frankfurt, Potsdam and Arsenal, each of them former European champions, in the last 16," said Wolecki Black. "There is no doubt that we have a better chance of qualifying for the later stages this year simply because we are the highest seeded club of the four. But our priority has to be the Medyk Konin tie before we start thinking about the last 16 and beyond."
The Polish club won their first championship last season, but cruised through their qualifying group this month, scoring 21 goals and conceding only one. Their most prominent player, 17-year-old striker Ewa Pajor, scored seven of them.
"She is attracting attention from clubs all over the world. We actually looked at her ourselves before the Champions League qualifiers but were told she is on the verge of a move to one of the top European clubs," Wolecki Black revealed.
Pajor, who was the mainstay of the Polish side which won last year's Under-17 Championship, was sent off in Scotland's World Cup qualifying win over Poland last season after being booked twice in the space of two minutes.
She again played in Thursday night's home defeat by Sweden. The result puts the Swedes ahead of Scotland in Group 4 for the first time - they have a three-point advantage and a better goal difference with both sides having two games remaining including a likely showdown in Gothenburg on September 17.
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