Arsenal Women’s are out of the Champions League

• Arsenal Women’s team are out of the women’s UEFA Champions League after Wolfsburg Women won 3-2 at the Emirates.
• The game went to extra time as Wolfsburg sealed a 5-4 aggregate win to secure a spot in the final.

Arsenal Women’s team are out of the women’s UEFA Champions League after Wolfsburg Women won 3-2 at the Emirates.

The game went to extra time as Wolfsburg sealed a 5-4 aggregate win to secure a spot in the final.

Stina Blackstenius and Jen Beattie scored goals for the Gunners on each side of goals from Jill Roord and Alexandra Popp in a match that was played out in front of a record-breaking Emirates attendance following a 2-2 draw in the first leg.

Pauline Bremer scored the game’s fifth and final goal to prevent a penalty shootout from deciding the second leg and set up a thrilling matchup with Barcelona at the Philips Stadion on June 3.

Wolfsburg Womens celebrate after beating Arsenal Womens. |PHOTO: GOAL|

How the first leg unfolded

In the first 10 minutes, Jonas Eidevall’s team was outmatched, but a hopeful ball from Lia Walti caused havoc at the back for Wolfsburg, who, somewhat against the flow of play, found themselves down 1-0 after 11 minutes.

While waiting for goalie Merle Frohms to approach Walti’s pass, Kathrin Hendrich accidentally poked the ball past her teammate as Blackstenius applied pressure. Blackstenius then slipped by Frohms and put the ball into an empty net.

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Tommy Stroot’s team was obviously rattled by Arsenal’s goal since they gave Blackstenius another golden opportunity in the 29th minute when Ewa Pajor fired a ball right towards Frida Maanum. However, Frohms easily stopped Blackstenius’s shot.

The hosts’ failure to extend their one-goal lead would cost them in the 41st minute as former Arsenal midfielder Roord equalized against her former club.

Roord’s effort wasn’t the strongest, but she had enough time and space to pinpoint the corner from the edge of the box after Popp knocked the ball down for her from a free kick. Roord did not hold back from celebrating in her old club.

In the fourth minute of additional time, after a bulldozing run from Jonsdottir, Wolfsburg nearly gained a slim lead, but she shot straight at Zinsberger.

Arsenal knocked out in the second-leg

Arsenal Women’s team after the game. |PHOTO: The Guardian|

the visitors were stunned just two minutes into the game when Blackstenius headed in a cross from the right by Noelle Maritz, but the goal was disallowed because the forward had strayed offside.

That respite was exactly what Wolfsburg needed to turn the tide. Popp headed Felicitas Rauch’s corner home at the near post in the 58th minute to give Wolfsburg their goal.

In the 69th minute, Wolfsburg should have been out of reach, but Svenja Huth’s attempt, which she missed after being set up by Jonsdottir down the right, would ultimately cost her the game.

With fifteen minutes remaining in regular time, Wubben-Moy’s cross from the right found fellow centre-back Beattie, who with a superbly timed header struck the far corner.

Beattie’s effort would lead to extra time, but in the closing seconds of regulation, Laura Wienroither needed to be carried away after suffering a worrisome knee injury, giving Arsenal even another significant injury concern.

Despite playing 119 minutes as one of Arsenal’s heroes, Wubben-Moy was egregiously at fault for Wolfsburg’s game-winning goal when Jule Brand stripped her of the ball and passed it for Bremer to tap in from a yard out.

Wolfsburg will now take part in a final for the sixth time in their history.