Khadija Shaw says Manchester City were frustrated by their slow start in the 1-1 draw with Real Madrid and believes they would have won if they had matched their second-half performance throughout the game.
City were held at home on Thursday, following a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in their opening match of the 2026-27 Champions League campaign last week. The result means they have taken two points from their first two games.
Real Madrid took the lead in the 29th minute when Linda Caicedo found the far corner. City had managed only five shots before half-time, compared with 11 from the visitors, and went into the break behind without being able to argue with the scoreline.
Their response after the interval was stronger and they levelled six minutes into the second half. Yui Hasegawa supplied Shaw, who turned before finishing in the 51st minute.
City finished with 1.69 expected goals (xG), compared with Real Madrid’s 0.89, while both sides attempted 16 shots.
Real Madrid were denied what they thought was a late winner when Silvia Cristobal’s strike was disallowed. Referee Silvia Gasperotti had already blown her whistle after inadvertently blocking Beth Mead on the edge of the Manchester City area, a decision which left visiting head coach Pau Quesada furious.
Shaw said City’s main disappointment was not maintaining their improved intensity from the second half.
“I think when you look at the game, we tried in the second half much better than we started the first, and I think that’s one thing we’re going to look at as a team,” Shaw told Disney+.
“We’re disappointed that we didn’t win the game, but we definitely fought until the end and that’s good.
“I think with our pressing, we gave them a lot more time in the first half. In the second half, we stuck in and pressed them higher up the pitch and that caused a lot of errors from them.
“I think if we had done that in the first half, it would’ve been a different game.”
On her goal, Shaw said: “When I’m in the box, I try to stay calm, with the players I have around me, that’s something we try to build in training.
“Sometimes it doesn’t come, but more often than not, they look for me. I try to stay calm, stay level-headed and focus on where the goal is.
“With the centre-backs I’m up against, it depends on what they give me. If they give me time and space, I know I can turn and get a shot off.”
The draw ended City’s seven-match winning sequence at home in the Champions League, the longest such run ever recorded by an English team in the competition.
Real Madrid have won only one of their 10 Champions League meetings with English clubs, drawing three and losing six. Their sole victory came against Arsenal, a 2-0 win in the 2024-25 quarter-finals.
Their win rate against Women’s Super League teams is 10%, their lowest against clubs from any one country in the competition, based on a minimum of three matches.