Manchester City have a fine chance of progressing to the quarter-finals in their Champions League debut season after Keira Walsh’s 35-yard effort gave them the advantage against Brondby in the round-of-16 tie, with the return leg to be played next week.

Walsh, 19, is not yet a full England international though it is surely only a matter of time before she wins a first cap. She may have had the visiting goalkeeper, Louise Abel, to thank for misjudging her attempt but Walsh shows impressive poise and maturity in the way she patrols midfield directing play.

This was the same City team that won 4-0 at Zvedza 2005 in the last-32 second leg, their previous match in the competition. City’s manager, Nick Cushing, opted for a loose 4-1-4-1 formation that had Walsh as the holding midfielder and Jane Ross the lone striker.

Per Nielsen’s team, the nine-time Danish champions, were in the more traditional 4-4-2 and it was the front pair of Louise Lundsgaard and Nanna Christiansen who gave City an early test. The former slipped in the latter, who raced at Karen Bardsley’s goal before the captain Steph Houghton slid in to end the danger.

City were unable to dominate as they did in the last round against the Russians, whom they beat 6-0 on aggregate. They did threaten, though, whenever Toni Duggan was in possession or via Lucy Bronze along the right-back’s flank.

When Kosovare Asllani threaded a ball along this corridor Bronze’s overlap took her into space and she drew a sharp save from Abel. Bronze took the subsequent corner but a fluffed delivery left Isobel Christiansen struggling and City were turned and suddenly having to defend a Brondby counterattack.

Earlier Duggan, whose footwork dazzled the Danish side throughout the first half, found Demi Stokes but the left-back could not capitalise.

Brondby went close when Larsen was allowed too much room along the right. From there she moved the ball inside and, when Christiansen let fly, Bardsley produced the save of the half, diving to her right to palm the ball away.

During the interval Cushing might have asked his side to close down space more quickly and move the ball faster, particularly out wide where the Bronze-Asllani and Stokes-Duggan combinations had troubled Brondby.

City made a bright start to the second half when Stokes forced a corner following kick-off. This came to nothing and, when a Houghton pass was later touched on by Jill Scott, the result was the same.

Ross now had the clearest sight of goal so far. She rounded an opponent but dawdled and again the opportunity was lost.

Until Walsh’s strike this promised to be the tale of City’s night, an inability to kill Brondby off. They dominated the second half and peppered Abel’s goal but were continually frustrated until Walsh made the breakthrough.

In the contest’s slickest move Houghton’s clever pass found Scott, who turned the ball on to Bronze but from the resulting cross Ross’s attempted finish proved a clearance.

Towards the end Bardsley ensured the victory by smothering a close-range shot from Leth Jans. It also ensured the right result as City were deserved winners.