In the first leg of the third round of qualifying for the Women's Champions League on September 11th, Manchester United Women's Team lost 0-1 away to Norwegian side Brann Women's Team. However, an unexpected incident occurred before the match: the luggage containing some players' boots went missing on the way to Bergen, forcing the team to purchase new shoes from local stores at the last minute.
Manchester United midfielder Nelson, in an interview with Norwegian media after the game, said: “It's true that some boots are missing, and we haven't figured out what happened. We found out right before heading to the stadium, and there was a bit of chaos for a while. Playing in new shoes is not an ideal situation for anyone.”
According to Gurod, the owner of a local sports goods store, Manchester United staff rushed to the store on the afternoon before the game and bought approximately 13 to 15 pairs of new boots and 20 pairs of shin guards.
The shoes purchased were equipped with hard-ground studs, but the pitch in Bergen was wet that night, which would have been more suitable for soft-ground studs—this has raised concerns about potential impacts on the players' performance.
In the end, Brann Women's Team defender Stenevik scored a header in the 76th minute, helping the home team secure the victory. The match attracted 16,019 spectators, setting a new record for attendance at a Norwegian women's football match.
Manchester United manager Skinner emphasized after the game: “This is just the first leg. Brann is celebrating now as if they've won the entire tie, but let's wait and see what happens when they come to our home ground next week.”
