Birmingham City Women 3-4 Liverpool Women
Late heartbreak as Blues fall to stoppage-time Liverpool winner in seven-goal thriller
Subway Players Cup - Group Stage
Wednesday 30 September 2026
St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park
Birmingham City Women 3-4 Liverpool Women
Birmingham City goals: Marie Levasseur 34’, Lee Geum-min 50’, Wilma Leidhammar 76’
Liverpool goals: Marie Höbinger 4’, 54’, Neve McDonald 51’, Natalia Ramos 90+3’
Birmingham City Women suffered a heartbreaking late defeat on Wednesday evening as Liverpool Women snatched a 4-3 victory with virtually the last meaningful action of an extraordinary Subway Players Cup encounter at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
The Blues twice came from behind and twice found a way back into the game, but were ultimately denied a share of the spoils by Liverpool’s late set-piece winner.
The result brought a seven-goal contest to a dramatic conclusion, with Birmingham showing considerable character throughout an open and entertaining evening.
Liverpool strike early
Liverpool needed only four minutes to take the lead.
The visitors’ pressing game forced Birmingham into giving the ball away, with Fuka Nagano winning possession before Aurélie Csillag found Marie Höbinger.
The Liverpool captain created space on the edge of the penalty area and fired a low finish beyond Lucy Thomas and into the bottom corner.
The early setback gave Liverpool confidence and the visitors continued to threaten, with Csillag and Beata Olsson both going close.
Birmingham gradually settled and began to find opportunities of their own as the Blues worked their way back into the contest.
Blues respond through Levasseur
Birmingham’s pressure eventually produced an equaliser in the 34th minute.
Chancelle Effa Effa led an excellent counter-attack before squaring the ball across goal. Marie Levasseur arrived at the right moment to finish and bring the Blues level.
Liverpool defender Lily Woodham attempted to prevent the ball from crossing the line, but Levasseur’s effort found its way into the net.
The equaliser changed the momentum and Birmingham began to look increasingly dangerous.
Liverpool were then forced into a change when Csillag was carried from the field on a stretcher after going down under no challenge. The incident resulted in a lengthy stoppage.
Neither side could find another goal before the interval, leaving the score 1-1 at half-time.
Birmingham complete the turnaround
The Blues came flying out of the blocks after the restart and took the lead just five minutes into the second half.
Rebecca McKenna delivered the cross and Lee Geum-min rose to meet it, directing her header beyond Faye Kirby to put Birmingham 2-1 ahead.
The advantage lasted only a minute.
Liverpool responded immediately, with 18-year-old Neve McDonald positioned at the back post. She reacted quickest to a deflected effort from Cornelia Kapoks and prodded the ball home to make it 2-2.
Three minutes later, Liverpool were back in front.
Höbinger was given room outside the Birmingham penalty area and produced another excellent finish from distance, beating Lucy Thomas to restore Liverpool’s 3-2 advantage.
Blues refuse to surrender
Birmingham could have been knocked off their stride by Liverpool’s rapid turnaround, but the Blues continued to compete and create opportunities.
Lee Geum-min came close to adding another goal as Birmingham continued to threaten the Liverpool defence.
Their persistence was rewarded with 14 minutes remaining.
Wilma Leidhammar collected the ball around 25 yards from goal before unleashing a powerful and well-placed effort. Kirby was unable to keep it out and Birmingham were level again at 3-3.
The goal lifted the atmosphere inside St Andrew’s and gave the Blues renewed momentum.
Liverpool snatch victory in stoppage time
The final stages became increasingly frantic as both teams looked for a decisive goal.
Liverpool pushed forward, while Birmingham remained a threat on the counter-attack.
Cornelia Kapoks curled an effort narrowly wide before Maizie Trueman struck the post and then forced an excellent save from Lucy Thomas.
The Birmingham goalkeeper had already made several important interventions and was called upon again as Liverpool searched for a fourth.
Then came the decisive moment.
With the clock into the third minute of stoppage time, Liverpool won a corner.
The delivery was swung into the Birmingham penalty area and Zara Shaw rose highest, directing the ball into a dangerous area.
Substitute Natalia Ramos reacted quickest and got a decisive touch from close range to send the ball into the net.
Birmingham City Women 3-4 Liverpool Women.
There was barely enough time for Birmingham to respond before the final whistle.
A night of character for Birmingham City Women
The final score was a painful one for Birmingham after the Blues had repeatedly shown the character to recover from difficult positions.
Liverpool took the lead inside the opening four minutes, but Birmingham responded through Levasseur and then turned the game around after half-time through Lee Geum-min.
Liverpool’s immediate response put the visitors back in control, yet Birmingham refused to disappear from the contest.
Leidhammar’s long-range strike made it 3-3 and appeared to have earned Birmingham at least a share of the spoils. Instead, Liverpool produced one final attack and Ramos converted the late opportunity.
The match was ultimately decided by the fine margins of a late set piece.
Liverpool’s result means they recorded their second victory from two in the Subway Players Cup, while Birmingham were left to reflect on a performance that produced three goals and twice recovered from a losing position.
Full-time
Birmingham City Women 3-4 Liverpool Women
Birmingham City goals: Marie Levasseur 34’, Lee Geum-min 50’, Wilma Leidhammar 76’.
Liverpool goals: Marie Höbinger 4’ and 54’, Neve McDonald 51’, Natalia Ramos 90+3’.
Goals at a glance
- 0-1 - Höbinger, 4’: Liverpool captain Marie Höbinger fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
- 1-1 - Levasseur, 34’: Marie Levasseur finished Birmingham’s counter-attack after being played in by Chancelle Effa Effa.
- 2-1 - Lee Geum-min, 50’: Lee headed home Rebecca McKenna’s cross.
- 2-2 - McDonald, 51’: Neve McDonald reacted at the back post to score.
- 2-3 - Höbinger, 54’: Höbinger struck again from distance to restore Liverpool’s lead.
- 3-3 - Leidhammar, 76’: Wilma Leidhammar produced a superb long-range finish to level the match.
- 3-4 - Ramos, 90+3’: Natalia Ramos converted from close range following a Liverpool corner.
Birmingham City Women team
Lucy Thomas; Martha Harris, Sarah Cooke, Rebecca Holloway; Charlotte Cornet (capt.), Sarah Amano, Chancelle Effa Effa; Wilma Leidhammar, Julia Rastocle, Marie Levasseur, Lee Geum-min.
Liverpool Women team
Faye Kirby; Zara Shaw, Sofia Agrez, Lily Woodham; Fuka Nagano, Marie Höbinger (capt.), Maizie Trueman, Beata Olsson, Mia Enderby, Aurélie Csillag, Cornelia Kapoks.
The verdict
Birmingham City Women produced a spirited performance in a dramatic Subway Players Cup encounter, scoring three times against Liverpool and twice recovering from a losing position.
The Blues ultimately paid the price for conceding a late set-piece goal, with Ramos’ 90+3-minute finish deciding a match that had repeatedly swung from one side to the other.
For Birmingham, the result will be frustrating given the way the team fought back to 3-3. Nevertheless, the performance demonstrated attacking threat and resilience, with the Blues continuing to compete until the final whistle.
The seven-goal contest provided an absorbing evening of football at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, with Birmingham twice recovering from a losing position before Liverpool finally found the decisive moment deep into stoppage time.
Final score: Birmingham City Women 3-4 Liverpool Women.
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