Manchester City advanced into the Semi Finals of their first ever Champions League voyage with a entertaining 1-0 win at home to Fortuna Hjorring.

The games first save came on 9 minutes when Carlo Lloyd drove through midfield finding Jane Ross inside the penalty area; Ross did well to turn playing in Jill Scott whose sliding effort was well saved by Christiansen at the near post. City went close again on 15 minutes when Lloyd dribbled her way through the Fortuna defence but powered her effort wide of the right hand post.

City stepped up the tempo as Kosavare Asllani headed wide from a deep Lucy Bronze cross before a superb run from Mel Lawley on the right saw her cut inside and flash a long range effort just wide of the post with the keeper beaten.

Fortuna responded with an effort themselves on 21 minutes with some superb individual play from Frederikke Thogersen before pulling it back to Camilla Larsen who fired her effort into the grateful hands of City goalkeeper Karen Bardsley. Two minutes later Fortuna went close again as a mix up in the city penalty saw a cross headed straight to the unmarked Caroline Rask; her first effort hit the chest of Steph Houghton before the Danish international fired the rebound wide of the post the goal at her mercy. Replays suggest Rask might have had a penalty for handball from Houghton’s block.

City broke the deadlock just before half time when a Lawley corner was floated to the far post and Bronze rose highest to head home beyond Christiansen to give them a lead going into the break.

The opening stages of the second half were uneventful aside from City’s claims for a penalty when Jane Ross was tripped in the box after good play from Asllani on the right. Asllani might have done better just after the hour mark when a worked corner found its way to her at the edge of the area but she fired high and wide of the Fortuna goal.

City came close to doubling their lead on 81 minutes when a superb through ball from Bronze put Ross through one-on-one but fell foul of the offside flag with Christiansen pulling off a superb save diving at her feet. Lloyd had an effort pushed away by Christiansen following a curled in free kick into the box on 85 minutes.

Manchester City were able to see out the games final moments comfortably as they eased into the Champions League Semi Final’s where they will face Lyon at the end of April.

Player of the Match: Jill Scott (Manchester City)