Spurs Women v Reading Women - Karen and Juan's preview

This season’s Continental League Cup kicks off this weekend as we take a short break from Barclays FA Women’s Super League (WSL) action to host Reading at The Hive for our first fixture in Group D. 

Semi-finalists in the competition in 2018, Reading bowed out in the quarter-finals last season after defeat to Chelsea at Kingsmeadow. 

The Royals have three points from two league games so far – they won 1-0 against Liverpool on the opening day of the season but come into our game on Sunday off the back of a 2-0 home defeat against Manchester City last weekend.

Head Coach Karen Hills said: “The league is obviously our main focus this season, but the Continental League Cup is a competition that we want to do well in, and we go into every game to win. Playing Reading is never going to be easy but it’s massively important that we keep our momentum going.”

Head Coach Juan Amoros added: “Reading are a very physical team with a lot of experience and they always work extremely hard - we know what we’re coming up against. We treat every game like it’s a final and that’s how we will approach this cup game too.”

Spurs have competed in the Continental League Cup since gaining promotion to tier two in 2017 and have since enjoyed victories against WSL teams including Yeovil Town - on two occasions, Bristol City and Brighton & Hove Albion, who we defeated on penalties.

But despite positive results against WSL opposition, Karen and Juan’s team haven’t yet managed to progress out of the group stages.

Juan commented: “I think in the last couple of seasons we’ve come extremely close to getting to the next stage and picked up some great points against WSL teams and that gave us a big boost while competing in the division below (FA Women’s Championship). We want to give a good account of ourselves of course and hopefully we’ll be able to reach the quarter-finals this time around."

Forward Rianna Dean made a brief return from injury against Liverpool and could make her first start of the season against Reading but last Sunday’s match-winner Rachel Furness is ineligible to play against her parent club.

“We’ve had another positive week of training and the win against Liverpool has given us all a boost going into Sunday’s game,” Karen said.

“Rianna (Dean) getting some minutes under her belt at the weekend was great to see and she is in contention to play against Reading, along with all the other players that we have available. With the form Rachel (Furness) is in, it’s a shame that she can’t be involved but we have a great squad and it’s a good opportunity for other players to show what they’re about.”

Juan finished: “I know it’s common for managers to rotate their squads in cup competitions but we work on the basis that the players must earn their position in the starting line-up, regardless of it being a league or cup game - it’s a privilege for players to be selected in the starting eleven.”