Goals in each half from Linda Caicedo and Athenea del Castillo gave Real Madrid a 2-0 win over Arsenal in their Women’s Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday while eight-time winners Lyon defeated Bayern Munich by the same scoreline.
Arsenal made the early running in Spain but were hit on the counter when Madrid made their first chance of the match in the 22nd minute.
Real’s Sandie Toletti intercepted an Arsenal pass in her own half and picked out former Manchester United striker Signe Bruun.
Her pass found Colombian international Caicedo who held off the challenge of USA defender Emily Fox before surging into the box and finding the bottom left of goal with a neat finish.
Beth Mead went close to levelling just before half-time but slid her shot just wide of Misa Rodriguez’s right-hand post.
Arsenal, in a joint-record 16th quarter-final and looking to reach an eighth semi-final, pressed in the second half for an equaliser, forcing Misa into a series of saves but the Gunners were again hit on the counter eight minutes from time.
This time Scottish midfielder Caroline Weir, playing against her old club fed substitute Del Castillo down the left channel.
Chasing to the edge of the Arsenal box, she stepped inside and drilled a drive towards the left post Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger could only palm into the corner of the net.
“It’s a great result and a great win,” said Bruun.
“We had to stick together and work as a team. We are very happy with the scoreline, but there is another game to go and now we have to focus on it.”
Arsenal captain Kim Little admitted her side were “disappointed” with the defeat and would need to step up a level in next week’s second leg in London if they are to make it into a semi-final against either Bayern Munich or Lyon.
“Now we are sad but we have to recover so that the second leg will be different,” said Little.
Lyon, who won all six of their group stage matches, enjoyed a 2-0 win at Bayern Munich, ending the German side’s 11-game unbeaten home run in the tournament.
Defeated in last year’s final by Barcelona, the French side took the lead in the 35th minute when Malawi international Tabitha Chawinga scored with a powerful left-footed drive after pouncing on a poor clearance from Linda Sembrant.
It was a first Champions League goal this season for former PSG player Chawinga who has scored seven times in the French league.
Lyon could have doubled their lead in first-half injury time but Lindsey Heaps’ penalty was saved by Bayern goalkeeper Maria-Luisa Grohs who was making her first competitive appearance since being diagnosed with a malignant tumour in November.
Haitian star Melchie Dumornay gave Lyon breathing space with the team’s second goal after 65 minutes for her fourth goal in this season’s tournament.
“The performance was good. Our coach told us what we could do tonight and we prepared for almost a week for it,” said Chawinga.
AFP
