Mary Fowler and her Manchester City teammates have hit a rough patch, going down 3-0 to European champions Barcelona in the Women's Champions League. Aussie Alanna Kennedy, who had been hooked at halftime during City's home loss at Everton in the Women's Super League three days earlier, again looked at sea at the back as City's defence got run ragged by the defending European champions, who scored through Claudia Pina and then their two Ballon d'Or winners, Aitor Bonmati and Alexia Putellas in Spain.
![[Mary Fowler cut a largely peripheral figure as Barcelona handed the Matildas' English hopefuls Manchester City a lesson with their 3-0 triumph in the Women's Champions League]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/01/93299233-0-image-a-216_1734572938590.jpg)
It could have been much worse for the WSL challengers, as Barcelona rained in 30 shots to three in a hugely one-sided contest at the Olympic Stadium which made City's win in the reverse fixture back in Manchester at the start of October feel an awfully long time ago.
![[Football Australia boss James Johnson backed Fowler's decision to have a break]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/01/93299241-0-image-a-217_1734572943644.jpg)
City had to avoid a two-goal defeat to finish top of Group D ahead of the champs but they never looked likely to keep the hosts at bay, with playmaker Bonmati running the show and winning the player of the match award the night after picking up her latest award as the 'FIFA Best' women's player.
City's defence had looked like an accident waiting to happen as Kennedy three times gave the ball away before her failure to clear her ranks a fourth time gifted the ball straight to Pina, who put Barca ahead just before the break. City were then guilty of gifting the ball away again in the 57th minute, their sluggish rearguard again being picked off by Bonmati, who raced through and nutmegged busy keeper Khiara Keating with a low left-foot finish.
