St Pölten vs Man City: A tale of two cities

When St Pölten and Manchester City met in the UEFA Women's Champions League on Wednesday, it was a clash of two very different worlds.

St Pölten, a small town in Austria with a population of just under 50,000 people, is home to a team that has only been playing in the Champions League for two seasons. Manchester City, on the other hand, is one of the biggest clubs in the world, with a squad full of international stars.

Despite the gulf in experience and resources, St Pölten put up a valiant fight against City. They took the lead in the first half through Nina Burger, and held on for a 1-1 draw until the final minutes of the game.

But City's quality eventually told, and they scored two late goals to win 3-1. The win keeps City top of Group D, while St Pölten remain bottom.

For St Pölten, the defeat was a disappointment, but also a source of pride. They had shown that they could compete with one of the best teams in Europe, and had earned the respect of their opponents.

"We're a small club, but we have a big heart," said St Pölten coach Liese Brancao. "We showed that tonight. We played with a lot of passion and determination, and we made Manchester City work hard for their win."

For City, the win was a welcome boost after a difficult start to the season. They had lost their first two games in the Women's Super League, and were under pressure to get back to winning ways.

"It was a good performance," said City manager Gareth Taylor. "We showed a lot of character to come back from behind and win the game. We're still a work in progress, but we're getting there."

The win over St Pölten was a reminder of City's quality, and it will give them confidence going into their next game against Real Madrid.