New blow for Mary Fowler as Football Australia comments on her Matildas break with boyfriend Nathan Cleary

Mary Fowler and her Manchester City teammates have hit a rough patch, going down 3-0 to European champions Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League.

Aussie Alanna Kennedy, who had been hooked at halftime during City’s home loss at Everton in the Women’s Super League three days earlier, again looked at sea at the back as City’s defence got run ragged by the defending European champions, who scored through Claudia Pina and then their two Ballon d’Or winners, Aitor Bonmati and Alexia Putellas in Spain.

It could have been much worse for the WSL challengers, as Barcelona rained in 30 shots to three in a hugely one-sided contest at the Olympic Stadium which made City’s win in the reverse fixture back in Manchester at the start of October feel an awfully long time ago.

City had to avoid a two-goal defeat to finish top of Group D ahead of the champs but they never looked likely to keep the hosts at bay, with playmaker Bonmati running the show and winning the player of the match award the night after picking up her latest award as the ‘FIFA Best’ women’s player.

City’s defence had looked like an accident waiting to happen as Kennedy three times gave the ball away before her failure to clear her ranks a fourth time gifted the ball straight to Pina, who put Barca ahead just before the break.

City were then guilty of gifting the ball away again in the 57th minute, their sluggish rearguard again being picked off by Bonmati, who raced through and nutmegged busy keeper Khiara Keating with a low left-foot finish.

Mary Fowler cut a largely peripheral figure as Barcelona handed the Matildas’ English hopefuls Manchester City a lesson with their 3-0 triumph in the Women’s Champions League

Putellas, who had won the previous two Women’s Ballons d’Or prizes before Bonmati lifted two in a row, then made it 3-0 with a shot from outside the box in the 67th past the unsighted Keating.

Both sides finished on 15 points in their group, but Barca grabbed top spot with a superior goal difference.

Fowler, who had a quiet match, has recently returned to the pitch after taking a break from the national side – citing her need to recover from mental and physical fatigue.

The Manchester City starlet noted in a statement that ‘playing with an increasingly demanding schedule has been both exciting but at times also challenging’.

She instead spent the November-December international break resting with family and catching up with boyfriend Nathan Cleary.

This week, Football Australia boss James Johnson said he backed her decision to have a break.

‘Mary had a health issue that we needed to support her on,’ Johnson said.

Football Australia boss James Johnson backed Fowler’s decision to have a break

‘And we’re supportive of her needing to have a short break.

‘I think the challenge is around the international calendar for the women’s game is really heavy now. 

It’s great leadership by Mary to put her hand up and say “I need a break and I need to get my head and body right”.’