CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Arsenal ends Real Madrid hopes
In a span of less than 15 minutes, Los Blancos went from having a two-goal lead to trailing on aggregate.
Linda Caicedo’s European journey this season is over. Real Madrid came into their Women’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg in London holding a 2–0 advantage over Arsenal, earned in the first leg at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium. But at the Emirates, everything changed.
Alberto Toril’s team, with Caicedo starting, absorbed heavy pressure in the first half. The Colombian nearly extended Madrid’s lead with a shot off the post, but the play was ruled offside. The Spanish side went into halftime still clinging to their two-goal aggregate lead—and hope.
Arsenal flipped the script in 15 devastating minutes
The second half opened with a storm from Arsenal, and Real Madrid had no answer. Just seconds after the restart, Chloe Kelly delivered a cross from the right to the far post, where Alessia Russo ran onto it to break the deadlock.
Three minutes later, déjà vu: another Kelly cross, this time to the penalty spot, met by a powerful header from Mariona Caldentey to level the tie on aggregate.
By the 59th minute, the comeback was complete. A rebound in the box fell kindly to Russo, who smashed it home for her second of the night. She nearly grabbed a hat-trick twice more, but both goals were narrowly ruled offside.
Caicedo had a chance to send the match to extra time deep into stoppage time, but Daphne van Domselaar made a crucial save to preserve Arsenal’s lead.
With that, Real Madrid’s campaign in Europe ends. The team now turns its focus to Liga F, where it currently sits second, four points behind Barcelona. Their next challenge comes at home against Real Sociedad.
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- 14 Daphne van Domselaar
- 6 Leah Williamson
- 2 Emily Fox
- 7 Steph Catley
- 11 Katie McCabe
- 12 Frida Maanum (72')
- 8 Mariona Caldentey
- 10 Kim Little (89')
- 19 Caitlin Foord
- 23 Alessia Russo x2
- 18 Chloe Kelly (72')
- Substitutes
- 21 Victoria Pelova
- 1 Manuela Zinsberger
- 22 Jenna Nighswonger
- 25 Stina Blackstenius (89')
- 5 Laia Codina
- 40 Naomi Williams
- 32 Kyra Cooney-Cross
- 13 Lia Wälti (72')
- 9 Beth Mead (72')
- 16 Rosa Kafaji
- 62 Katie Reid
- 28 Amanda Ilestedt
- 1 Misa
- 14 María Méndez
- 7 Olga Carmona (75')
- 23 Maëlle Lakrar
- 15 Sheila García
- 6 Sandie Toletti
- 22 Athenea del Castillo
- 21 Filippa Angeldahl (75')
- 18 Linda Caicedo
- 10 Caroline Weir
- 9 Signe Bruun (75')
- Substitutes
- 12 Yasmim (75')
- 26 Laia López
- 47 Sofía Fuente
- 19 Eva Navarro
- 16 Caroline Møller
- 36 Irune Dorado
- 17 Carla Camacho
- 5 Antônia
- 33 Noemí Bejarano
- 39 Elsa Santos
- 11 Alba Redondo (75')
- 20 Naomie Feller (75')
Substitutions
Lia Wälti (72', Frida Maanum), Beth Mead (72', Chloe Kelly), Alba Redondo (75', Olga Carmona), Naomie Feller (75', Signe Bruun), Yasmim (75', Filippa Angeldahl), Stina Blackstenius (89', Kim Little)
Goals
1-0, 45': Alessia Russo, 2-0, 48': Mariona Caldentey, 3-0, 58': Alessia Russo