US forward Schultz sets HB Køge on to big win in Women's Champions League. Man City back in action

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — A back-heel flicked goal by American forward Macy Schultz set HB Køge up for a big win in the Women’s Champions League on Thursday, as Manchester City returned to action in a seismic week for the club.

Schultz’s clever strike in the ninth minute opened the scoring in Danish champion Køge’s 5-1 win over Servette in the second round of games in the 18-team league phase.

Inter Milan captain Ivana Andres Sanz scored with seconds left in stoppage time to deny Austria Vienna victory in a 1-1 draw. The hosts had led from the 21st minute on a long-distance shot from Modesta Uka.

Man City was taking the field later hosting Real Madrid in the club’s first senior game since its reputation was rocked by a devastating verdict from an independent tribunal.

The women’s team is not implicated in systemic breaking of Premier League financial monitoring rules that inflated revenue available to the hugely successful men’s team of more than 900 million pounds ($1.19 billion) for transfer fees and wages from 2009-18.

City’s women won a domestic league and cup double last season and is chasing a first Women’s Champions League title in what shapes to a period of intense turmoil in Manchester. The club is expected to challenge the Premier League verdict by a Friday deadline and then the likely subsequent sanctions.

Also later in the Women’s Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain is hosting OH Leuven of Belgium.

Barcelona takes clear standings lead already

Barcelona is already the only team with maximum points after just two of the six rounds played.

The defending champion won 6-0 Wednesday at Roma, adding to a 5-2 win last week over Paris FC. Also Wednesday, OL Lyonnes was held 0-0 at home to Chelsea, and Arsenal drew 2-2 at Paris FC.

Barcelona next plays Oct. 29 on the artificial turf at Køge where the champion of Denmark impressed Thursday, taking a three-goal lead in the first half.

Schultz, the 25-year-old former Northern Colorado Rain wing back, jumped to meet a free kick curled in from the right wing with a flick of her right heel and guided the ball into the far corner of the Servette net.

Servette is last in the 18-team standings with zero points and a minus-12 goal difference in what is proving a rough return to the competition for the Swiss champion. The 5-1 loss at Køge at least had more encouraging signs than the 8-0 defeat at home to OL Lyonnes last week.

Inter's late leveler in Vienna

Inter Milan had one chance left to level the game in the third and last minute of stoppage time, and took it at the fourth attempted shot in a scramble from a corner.

Center back Ivana Andres Sanz seized on a loose ball from about five meters (yards) and got enough power on her shot that deflected into the net off a defender on the goal line.

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