VfL Wolfsburg Women vs Arsenal Women. Women's Champions League Quarter Final.
Volkswagen ArenaAttendance11,293.
3-1
Match report as Arsenal exited the Women's Champions League at the hands of two-times winners Wolfburg; The German side ran out 2-0 winners on the night; Wolfsburg will meet reigning champions Barcelona in the competition's final four; Lyon beat Juventus to semi-final stage
Friday 1 April 2022 07:45, UK
Arsenal bowed out of the Women's Champions League at the quarter-final stage after a 2-0 second-leg defeat saw Wolfsburg progress 3-1 on aggregate at the Volkswagen Arena.
With the tie evenly poised after a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium, the Londoners were pegged back early on, by a name familiar to all of an Arsenal persuasion.
Wolfsburg scored either side of the interval, breaking the deadlock through former Gunner Jill Roord, as she hooked Sveindis Jonsdottir's knock on into the corner of Manuela Zinsberger's net in the ninth minute.
Leah Williamson's own goal added an untimely second as the Gunners' run in the competition came to an abrupt end at the hands of the two-times winners.
Jonas Eidevall's side were much improved in the second half, having weathered a Wolfsburg storm in the first 45 minutes, applying more pressure in a game devoid of too many clear-cut chances.
But a killer blow was dealt to the visitors midway through the second half, as Jonsdottir claimed her second assist of the evening, forcing Williamson to turn into her own net.
The forward, who enjoyed a lively night as part of Wolfsburg's vibrant frontline, flashed an awkward delivery across the face of goal, which Williamson inadvertently stabbed beyond Zinsberger.
In truth, Arsenal were second-best for the majority of the tie, despite rallying for brief moments in the second half, with Vivianne Miedema crashing a header off the upright before Williamson's follow-up effort was clawed onto the post.
Wolfsburg make it through to the Champions League semi-finals, where they will meet reigning European champions Barcelona for a place in the final.
Arsenal Women manager Jonas Eidevall to Arsenal.com:
"We knew it was going to be a tough game today. It really shows in the game that it is small margins that determine - we hit the crossbar, we hit the post, we had a penalty that looks clear to everyone else but the one who is reviewing it, and we don't get that. We need to get something like that in a game like this today in order to get a result.
"We were better in the second half. We showed a better version of ourselves, but the players never gave up and they took the game into almost the dying minutes with that penalty situation, which could have given us another life into the game.
"We need to learn from this game here if we want to be a top European team. There are things we need to develop, and we need to spend the rest of this season and next year's pre-season in order to develop it, but also to say, now is the time to refocus, be sharp and get ready for Sunday. It's one thing to lose one game, but we need to be ready for the next one and that requires a lot from everyone.
"When you play Champions League, and that's the best thing with it, you get exposed to the best club teams in Europe and obviously you learn a lot about yourself, both on an individual level and on a team level.
"That gives you a very clear picture of where you need to go and, when you know where you need to go, then the journey becomes easier on how you plan. It provides us a really clear picture on where we want to be as a team and also as individuals in the future."
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk on Sky Sports News:
"Arsenal were inventive, aggressive, they pressed Wolfsburg and made they make mistakes in the second half. But, in the first half, Arsenal stitched themselves up. I don't know whether it was nerves or anticipation, but Arsenal just were not close to Wolfsburg at all and they paid the price."
Seven-time European champions Lyon set up a Champions League semi-final with French rivals Paris Saint-Germain after beating Juventus 3-1 and overturning a first-leg deficit to progress 4-3 on aggregate.
Strikes from Ada Hegerberg and Melvine Malard saw Lyon seize control of the tie and cancel out Juventus' 2-1 first-leg advantage before half-time at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
Catarina Macario added Lyon's third in spectacular fashion as the French club established a two-goal lead with just 17 minutes remaining, and it proved insurmountable, with substitute Andrea Staskova's late header mere consolation for Junvetus as they bowed out of the competition.
Lyon's reward is a two-legged semi-final against PSG, who edged past Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals with 4-3 aggregate win that was sealed in extra-time.
Arsenal go to Leicester on Sunday at 12.30pm, with a win moving them top of the WSL, two points ahead of current leaders Chelsea.
However, the Blues could regain top spot that evening if they win at home against Reading at 6.45pm, live on Sky Sports.
