Arsenal 3-1 (7-1 on agg) Leuven: Women’s Champions League – as it happened | Women’s Champions League
Key events
Thank you for joining me for this second leg and Arsenal have belted themselves through to the quarter-finals with an impressive 7-1 win on aggregate. Leuven, who were competing in the competition for the first time, were impressive at times but could not overcome the defending champions. Arsenal will now play Chelsea and to recall how they did it read the report below. I will be back with the second leg of Man Utd v Atletico Madrid tomorrow so I will see you then.
Arsenal forward Alessia Russo told Disney +: “We are playing well, we are playing good football and I think that brings confidence to everyone. I think the feeling around the whole team in general is positive.”
Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord told Disney +: “Job done. It wasn’t pretty but we got it done so into the quarters. The mentality is what we had to get right today… we finished it off today.”
Earlier this evening, Real Madrid also booked their spot in the quarter-finals where they will play Barcelona. A few local rivals facing each other in the last eight.
Full time: Arsenal 3-1 (7-1 on agg) Leuven
Arsenal are through to the Champions League quarter-finals where they will face Chelsea. The defending champions had the tie wrapped up in the first leg but saw off a resolute Leuven in the second to seal their spot.
۹۰ + ۱ min: There will be three minutes added.
Foord and Hinds connect really well with Russo finishing off their good work.
GOAL! Arsenal 3-1 (7-1 on agg) Leuven (Alessia Russo)
It’s the England star again.
۸۹ min: A reminder it will be Chelsea who Arsenal will play in the quarter-finals against one another, a great face-off that will be.
۸۷ min: Foord has been a really positive element for Arsenal this evening and she sets up yet another attack for the hosts which ends in a goal kick.
۸۵ min: It’s a bit scrappy at the back for Arsenal but they eventually manage to get it out of the danger zone. While they will win this tie convincingly, the Gunners have shown some weaknesses in their game.
۸۳ min: The hosts make another change with McCabe off for Hinds.
۸۲ min: With all the corner action Arsenal have had, now Leuven get the set piece for themselves. Bosteels lashes it in but Arsenal push them back. The visitors fight back into the box and win another corner but it ends abruptly with the Gunners doing just enough.
۸۰ min: McCabe is over the set piece once more and her delivery is poor, Arsenal keep it alive though. It’s thundered into the areas but Maanum’s effort is well over the bar.
۷۸ min: Foord puts in a hell of a run to keep a play alive and she pops it into the area but Russo’s chance is wide, it’s deflected though and there’s another corner.
۷۶ min: Arsenal make a few changes with Wubben-Moy and Codine are off for Williamson and Catley.
۷۵ min: Now this tie is practically decided, Arsenal will surely be favourites in the quarter-final against Chelsea. The Blues are out of form currently and the Gunners beat them in the WSL recently.
۷۳ min: Seynhaeve has been excellent in the last few minutes, she puts in another great save from a Russo chance. Had it have gone in it wouldn’t have counted as she was offside.
۷۱ min: McCabe pops it into the near post but Wubben-Moy’s header is wide
۷۰ min: McCabe sends it in again and Russo gets her head to it but it’s over the bar. That penalty has really put a fizz in this Arsenal team who come again with Seynhaeve’s save seeing it over for another corner.
۶۹ min: Oh my word Arsenal almost make it three on the night. Maanum does some magnificent work to lay it on a plate for Russo but her chance is wide, it looks like it is deflected though and they have a corner. The delivery isn’t the best but it is out for another set piece.
۶۷ min: Veefkind does make contact with Foord but the Australia international too a step before she hit the deck, that’s why the Leuven captain was protesting so much. But VAR checked it and it stood.
PENALTY! Arsenal 2-1 (6-1 on agg) Leuven (Mariona Caldentey)
It is given and the Spanish international scores.
۶۵ min: There are appeals for a penalty as Foord goes down in the box and it is given! Veefkind tries to protest and VAR will check this.
۶۳ min: Boos rain down, I know a clever pun with the weather thank you, as play is stopped for another Leuven injury but Arsenal were in a good position. It seemed Foord may have put in a challenge on Veefkind which is why the referee blew her whistle.
۶۱ min: Leuven make their first changes next with Conijnenberg and Hermans
off for Kuijpers and De Ceuster.
۶۰ min: It wasn’t Reynders, it was Biesmans, she goes to the sidelines but I believe she is okay to continue. Arsenal make a double change in the meantime with Kelly and Holmberg off and Little and Fox on.
۵۹ min: Mertens must be back on the pitch by now, commentary didn’t announce it and the shots didn’t show it but there would have been a replacement by this point, that is my thinking anyway. If anything new develops I will let you know. With that injury puzzle fixed, another Leuven player goes down and needs attention. I think it is Reynders.
۵۷ min: There is an error at the back for Arsenal but the hosts manage to get it back through Pelova. Arsenal had a good start to the second half but now they have gone back to their nervous ways from the first 45.
۵۵ min: It again is en-to-end with the visitors winning a corner through Bosteels. The same player takes the set piece but it’s kicked clear.
۵۴ min: The Gunners now win a corner and the delivery is good. Seynhaeve gets to it but doesn’t initially control, the keeper eventually collects though and clears. There has been no further update on Mertens and I think Leuven are still playing with 10.
۵۲ min: Arsenal continue to knock and Holmberg has a great strike but Seynhaeve makes a good save.
۵۱ min: A poor clearance from Seynhaeve sees Foord pounce but a few passes later Leuven clear the danger. No replacement on for Mertens yet and she has not re-entered the pitch.
۴۹ min: Mertens is limping to the side of the pitch, an awful thing to see. It is unclear if she is being subbed and so for now Leuven play with 10.
۴۸ min: Mertens has pulled up injured. It looked like she turned to pass the ball but she wasn’t in contact with anyone. Let’s hope she is okay.
۴۷ min: I feel like a weatherwoman but in case you are intrigued the conditions have not improved at all. Another damp 45 to come.
Back underway: Arsenal 1-1 (5-1 on agg) Leuven
Can Leuven do the impossible and turn this around? Or will Arsenal see this tie out? All to come.
Tom Garry
Manchester United will be without the left-back Anna Sandberg for anything between four and eight weeks, the United head coach Marc Skinner has revealed, in a major blow to the English side ahead of the second leg of their Women’s Champions League knockout play-off tie against Atletico Madrid on Thursday.
The Sweden international, who has played 11 times in Europe’s top competition for United so far this campaign, has been in excellent form but a knee injury means she would be very likely to miss the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich, if Manchester United were to progress past Atletico Madrid, whom they currently lead 3-0 from the first leg.
“There’s a little bit of a tidy up that needs to be done around her meniscus,” said Skinner, who is hoping that Sandberg will return for the last “three or four games” of the season, adding: “She will be around four to six to eight weeks, that’s the time frame we’ve been given. Best is four, middle is six. Obviously worst case is eight.
“But we’re hopeful we can get it to six [weeks]. But we won’t take any risks. She’s a young player so we’ll make sure she’s rehabbed effectively.”
Half-time: Arsenal 1-1(5-1 on agg) Leuven
It has been an interesting first half. Alessia Russo broke the second leg deadlock but Sara Pusztai levelled it. They had said a goal is what they were looking for and they have it, so Leuven are playing a lot more freely now. Arsenal, meanwhile, will be wanting to add a few more goals in the second half.
۴۵ min: Leuven are picking and picking at Arsenal, a great pass into the box quietens Meadow Park slightly but the resulting shot is skied. The visitors looking a lot better tonight than last week.
۴۴ min: The camera angle just cut to Arno Van den Abbeel and the rain seems to have got heavier and it is at a slant, absolutely awful conditions.
۴۲ min: The Gunners are definitely not at their best this evening with another give away in the midfield. Leuven work it into the box but Arsenal wrestle it back, a bit of a nervous performance at Meadow Park though.
۴۰ min: A reminder too that if any of you are wondering where Olivia Smith is, she is suspended because of accumulated yellow cards. Back to the game, Janssen concedes a free kick which the hosts take quickly. It comes to Russo in the box but her effort is blocked.
۳۸ min: Arsenal cheaply give it away in the midfield as Reynders pounces. It’s well worked but Pusztai’s cross is weak and Van Domselaar collects.
۳۶ min: Commentary are speaking about how frustrated Arsenal will be to have conceded that goal but being 5-1 up on aggregate, will it annoy them? Has it annoyed you Arsenal fans? Email me and let me know.
۳۴ min: Arsenal are looking to hit right back and Kelly wins a corner. It’s McCabe who delivers the ball but it’s in open space and cleared. It falls to Holmberg just outside the box but she skies the chance.
۳۲ min: That is thoroughly deserved for the visitors, it was a well worked goal and they have played well so far in this leg.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 (5-1 on agg) Leuven (Sara Pusztai)
It is given!
