Mary Fowler and her Matildas never did get to play in Paris at the Olympics after their group-stage flop in the south of France.

But a month after she had rather hoped to be shining there, the Australian star finally got to dazzle in the French capital on Wednesday, scoring a goal in Manchester City’s 5-0 romp at Paris FC in the Women’s Champions League (WCL).

Her goal in the easy first-leg win in second-round qualifying will almost certainly mean she and City get to play in the main stage of the WCL, as next week’s second leg at home appears now merely a formality.

But progressing looks a lot more difficult for her Matildas teammates at Arsenal — Kyra Cooney-Cross and Caitlin Foord — who featured in a 1-0 first-leg defeat at Swedish side Hacken.

The gifted Fowler endured an underwhelming Olympics in Marseille and Nice along with her international teammates and the 21-year-old is looking to rebound strongly for her powerful club, who just missed out to Chelsea on the English title on the last day of the season.

She got her chance to start up front after City’s superstar Jamaican striker Khadija Shaw failed to obtain a visa to travel for the first leg, reportedly due to a late application.

The WSL’s top scorer last season wasn’t missed, though, as new signing from Arsenal, Vivianne Miedema, often regarded as the WSL’s best-ever player, netted on debut and Jess Park scored twice in City’s cakewalk.

Fowler got in on the goal feast soon after the break, gifted the simplest of tap-ins for their third once she robbed dithering goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and slid the ball home into an empty net.

Chloe Kelly was City’s other scorer, with Paris FC’s Australian international midfielder Sarah Hunter probably glad to be left on the subs bench during the hammering. Alanna Kennedy did, though, see five minutes of late action off the City bench.

Arsenal slipped to a frustrating loss in Sweden, thwarted by solid defending and then pipped by a 77th-minute goal from Tabitha Tindell.

It meant delight for the side for whom another Matilda Aivi Luik plies her trade, but the 39-year-old was not playing on Wednesday as she continues to protest her innocence after being banned for three months for a doping violation.

There wasn’t much joy for her international teammates either with Foord failing to get on the scoresheet just a fortnight after netting four against Rangers in the first round of qualifying.

AAP