Arsenal 2-3 Wolfsburg AET (4-5 agg): Pauline Bremer’s extra time tap-in takes Germans to the final
Arsenal 2-3 Wolfsburg AET (4-5 agg): Pauline Bremer taps in late extra time to send Germans to Women’s Champions League final at the Gunners’ expense in front of over 60,000 fans in the Emirates
- Pauline Bremer struck late in extra time to send Wolfsburg into the June final
- Stina Blackstenius and Jen Beattie scored for hosts in the second leg of the semi-final
- Former Gunner Jill Roord and Alexandra Popp had scored for the Germans
On arguably the biggest day for women’s club football in this country, injury-stricken Arsenal were left broken, battered and bruised.
The Gunners have given their all against an experienced Wolfsburg side who are veterans at this stage of the competition. But after taking an early lead for the first time in the tie, they fell to a 5–4 aggregate defeat in extra time in front of a record crowd of over 60,000 at the Emirates.
It had all started so well for the hosts, who have been crippled by key player injuries this season. On her 50th appearance for the club, Stina Blackstenius took advantage of a defensive mix-up to put Arsenal ahead.
Lia Walti’s pass wreaked havoc in Wolfsburg’s defense as defender Kathrin Hendrich tried to hold off the Swede in the hope that her goalkeeper, Merle Frohms, would be off her line to advance from behind.
But Frohms’ moment of hesitation was just enough for Blackstenius to capitalize on. She was too fast and too strong for the German pair, shrugging their shoulders only to slip into an empty net.
Pauline Bremer struck in the 118th minute to send Wolfsburg to the Champions League final
Arsenal were left broken, battered and bruised in the Women’s Champions League semi-final
Arsenal’s injury troubles continued with Laura Wienroither being carried off in the 82nd minute
Jonas Eidevall’s team had already survived an early scare when the VAR took more than two minutes to decide that there was no handball against Lotte Wubben-Moy.
But he must have been furious about the way his team threw away the lead just before the break.
Alexandra Popp was allowed to receive a free kick from Felicitas Rauch in the path of Jill Roord, who had time and space on the edge of the penalty area to finish brilliantly in the bottom right corner against her old club. It left Arsenal feeling down, but certainly not out, heading into half-time.
It was almost an emphatic response from the Gunners after the break. No less than 90 seconds into the second half, Blackstenius thought she had her second. But after a VAR check, the goal was disallowed because the attacker was marginally offside in the build-up.
Stina Blackstenius put the hosts ahead after 11 minutes and also had a goal disallowed
Wolfsburg’s Dutch midfielder Jill Roord equalized against her old club before the break
Alexandra Popp put the visitors ahead just before the hour mark in front of 60,063 fans
Once again the German side probed and eventually they broke through the Arsenal defence. Popp stumbled on a corner from Rauch at the near post and left Zinsberger without a chance with a powerful header.
Arsenal gasped and puffed afterwards, but Eidevall’s decision to replace the dangerous Blackstenius with just over an hour left seemed to put the hosts off.
But tonight, of all nights, it felt like something special was coming. And it was an unlikely duo in defenders Wubben-Moy and Jen Beattie who made it 2-2 together.
The pair were dominant in their own penalty area, but proved deadly in Wolfsburg’s as Beattie’s fleeting header from Wubben-Moy’s cross drifted past Frohms.
An early VAR check on Lotte Wubben-Moy’s handball was dismissed for offside
Jen Beattie’s header on 75 minutes made it 2-2 on the night after the same scoreline in the first leg
Arsenal had the two fantastic chances in extra time through Lina Hurtig and Frida Maanum before Pauline Bremer came close for the visitors. Katie McCabe was then seen her cross come shot drifting agonizingly onto the Frohms bar.
But when the Gunners had to wait 60 seconds for penalties, disaster struck. Wubben-Moy was lax on the ball and when Tabea Wassmuth dispossessed her she was able to slide the ball over the goal and leave Bremer with the easiest finish at the back post.
And it was not to be for Arsenal, whose wait for a first Champions League final since 2007 continues. But on a night when the attendance record was broken, the result seemed almost secondary to the bigger picture, as the home players were serenaded with cries of ‘Arsenal, Arsenal’ at the end of a dramatic night.
Records are here to be broken – and if the women’s game continues to deliver games as good as these, there’s no doubt many more will be broken soon.
