WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Arsenal 2-3 Wolfsburg (4-5): summary, UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final, second leg
Wolfsburg won late on at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal in the UWCL semi-final and will face Barcelona in Eindhoven.
Arsenal’s Champions League dreams were ended in the cruellest of fashions after a late goal from Bremer sent Wolfsburg to Einhoven to face FC Barcelona Femení in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final. In a game that will go down in women’s football history for events both on and off the pitch, the German side were the last to remain standing after two legs of insanely entertaining and intense football.
The opening goal from Blackstenius came just 10 minutes into the game, during a frantic opening period which saw a potential Arsenal handball ruled in favour of the English side after a Wolfsburg player was judged to be offside. The striker took advantage of a sleepy Hendrich and robbed the ball from her inside the box before finishing cooly past Frohms.
VAR decided to intervene and the call, again, went in favour of the home side: Arsenal were in front. The intense battles all across the pitch continued to fuel the extraordinary atmosphere that took a collective gasp of air when Katie McCabe went down holding her ankle. The Irish midfielder was looked at by medical staff and cleared fit to continue, picking up where she left off, immediately winning a corner and further encouraging the fans who were more than up for the historic occasion.
Arsenal were, amidst the madness and smoke and sparks, carving out the better chances, as they seemed to be riding with the atmospheric pressure better rather than fighting against it. Blackstenius almost doubled their lead with a mistake from Oberdorf as she tried to launch a counter-attack, instead letting the ball be taken off her from a sloppy pass and fed into Swedish striker, who missed the goal from close range.
Before half-time, the game, as impossible to control as a piranha in a canoe, flipped again on its head. Ex-Arsenal player, Jill Roord, took down a pass on her chest before swinging a wild left boot at it from the edge of the box that flew under the outstretched arm of Zinsberger. 1-1.
The second half started with the same taste of madness as Blackstenius finished off a lovely move that was quickly pulled back for offside; 60,063 people - a new record in the UWCL for England - groaned as the referee blew the whistle for the infraction. Just 10 minutes later their groans would turn to screams as Popp smashed a header into the net from a corner, putting the German side into the final. And they continued to push with the ever-fantastic Jónsdóttir, who slid a delightful ball into Huth that she put just wide.
But Arsenal bit back in the crazy game with Beattie, who headed in a cross from the right, sending the home crowd into pandemonium... until it went to VAR. The goal was given and the fans got to celebrate the equaliser twice. The clock ticked on as the two heavyweights went blow for blow, swinging wild fists at unprotected jaws, too dazed to block and too tired to react after almost 180 minutes of football against each other.
Extra time came and chances continued to threaten for both sides, more out of exhaustion than tactical brilliance, with Wolfsburg’s Bremer sliding a shot agonisingly wide from close range before McCabe hit the post with just 5 minutes to go. And then came the heartbreak.
In the last minute of the game, with penalties looming like a hooded figure at the end of the road, Bremer tapped in from close range after a mistake from Wubben-Moy in the buildup, who was robbed by Brand. A near-perfect performance from the defender ended in the cruellest way possible, with one lapse of concentration after a two marathon-esque performances proving fatal for the 24-year-old. At the last second, in a flash, Wolfsburg were through. In a game that was so even it could have been decided on lots, straws, number of hairs on heads, a magic 8 ball or a hungry mollusc in an hobbyists aquarium, it was Wolfsburg who had one final punch to throw.
Wolfsburg will take on FC Barcelona Femení (who beat Chelsea in the semi-final) in Eindhoven on 3 June 2023.
- 1 Manuela Zinsberger
- 2 Rafaelle Souza
- 5 Jen Beattie (118')
- 3 Lotte Wubben-Moy
- 13 Lia Wälti
- 16 Noëlle Maritz (63')
- 12 Frida Maanum
- 7 Steph Catley
- 25 Stina Blackstenius (63')
- 15 Katie McCabe
- 21 Victoria Pelova
- Substitutes
- 17 Lina Hurtig (63')
- 18 Kaylan Marckese
- 22 Kathrine Kühl (81')
- 59 Michelle Agyemang (118')
- 62 Katie Reid
- 29 Teyah Goldie
- 14 Sabrina D'Angelo
- 26 Laura Wienroither (81')
- 1 Merle Frohms
- 6 Dominique Janssen
- 4 Kathrin Hendrich
- 13 Felicitas Rauch
- 2 Lynn Wilms (105')
- 23 Sveindís Jónsdóttir (100')
- 14 Jill Roord (122')
- 11 Alexandra Popp
- 5 Lena Oberdorf
- 10 Svenja Huth (89')
- 9 Ewa Pajor (77')
- Substitutes
- 31 Marina Hegering (105')
- 17 Kristin Demann
- 28 Tabea Waßmuth (77')
- 12 Julia Kassen
- 20 Pia-Sophie Wolter
- 29 Jule Brand (100')
- 30 Lisa Weiß
- 7 Pauline Bremer (89')
- 24 Marie-Joelle Wedemeyer
- 3 Sara Agrez
- 21 Rebecka Blomqvist (122')
Substitutions
Laura Wienroither (63', Noëlle Maritz), Lina Hurtig (63', Stina Blackstenius), Tabea Waßmuth (77', Ewa Pajor), Kathrine Kühl (81', Laura Wienroither), Pauline Bremer (89', Svenja Huth), Jule Brand (100', Sveindís Jónsdóttir), Marina Hegering (105', Lynn Wilms), Michelle Agyemang (118', Jen Beattie), Rebecka Blomqvist (122', Jill Roord)
Goals
1-0, 10': Stina Blackstenius, 1-1, 40': Jill Roord, 1-2, 57': Alexandra Popp, 2-2, 74': Jen Beattie, 2-3, 118': Pauline Bremer
Cards
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara
VAR Referee: Paolo Valeri, Jelena Cvetkovic
Noëlle Maritz (40',Yellow) Svenja Huth (49',Yellow) Jen Beattie (51',Yellow) Tabea Waßmuth (104',Yellow) Felicitas Rauch (113',Yellow) Steph Catley (116',Yellow) Victoria Pelova (122',Yellow)