LONDON: Titleholder Arsenal and Real Madrid easily won their home games on Wednesday to reach the women’s Champions League quarterfinals.
Alessia Russo scored twice as Arsenal beat Belgian side OH Leuven 3-1 for a 7-1 aggregate win to set up a quarterfinal with English rival Chelsea.
Earlier, Madrid set up a Clasico against three-time champion Barcelona by beating Paris FC 2-0 for a 5-2 aggregate victory.
Striker Naomie Feller opened the scoring for Madrid and defender Melween N’Dongala put through her own net.
Russo becomes top scorer
Russo’s brace took her onto a tournament-leading seven goals as Arsenal followed up their 4-0 away win from the first leg.
The England forward fired Arsenal ahead in the 23rd minute with a turn and first-time shot, and her second goal in the 90th was similar as she again used her strength to swivel and plant a low shot into the corner.
Hungary midfielder Sára Pusztai equalized for the visitors in the 29th with a close-range finish at a rain-soaked Meadow Park in Boreham Wood. Mariona Caldentey restored Arsenal’s lead with a penalty midway through the second half.
North Londoner Arsenal won the tournament in 2007, when it was called the Super Cup, and remain the only English team to do so. West Londoner Chelsea reached the final once, in 2021, but were routed 4-0 when Barca won their first title.
Earlier this month, Arsenal won the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup.
Early red card
In Madrid, Paris’ cause was made harder when defender Théa Greboval was sent off in the fifth minute for pulling back Feller as she ran through on goal.
Still, the visitors came close to taking a 19th-minute lead at Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano when Océane Picard’s low shot from 20 meters was well saved by goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez.
Attacking midfielder Caroline Weir missed a chance to put Madrid ahead from the penalty spot in the 36th after Picard handled a cross. Goalkeeper Mylène Chavas, playing against her former club, pushed away the spot kick with both hands.
Feller broke Paris’ resistance in the 54th when she volleyed in from close range following a fine cross from right back Eva Navarro, who also set up the second goal midway through the second half when her cross led to N’Dongala’s own goal from near the penalty spot.
The revamped women’s Champions League format has followed the men’s competition, with an opening league phase of six rounds instead of eight.
The top four in the 18-team league phase — Barcelona, Lyon, Chelsea and Bayern Munich — advanced directly to the quarters and teams placed fifth to 12th went into the playoffs.
To come
In Thursday’s second legs, Juventus host two-time champion Wolfsburg with the score 2-2 while Manchester United defend a 3-0 lead at home to Atletico Madrid.
Titleholder Arsenal and Real Madrid cruise into women’s Champions League quarterfinals
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Titleholder Arsenal and Real Madrid cruise into women’s Champions League quarterfinals
- Alessia Russo scored twice as Arsenal beat Belgian side OH Leuven 3-1
- North Londoner Arsenal won the tournament in 2007
Al-Ahli survive first-half scare to cruise to victory and tie Al-Hilal at the top of Saudi Pro League
- Al-Ahli draw level with league leaders Al-Hilal on 53 points after trailing 1-0 down at half-time
- Al-Ettifaq and Al-Fateh play out seven-goal thriller in Dammam
DAMMAM: Matchday 23 kicked began with what ultimately became a comfortable victory for Al-Ahli over relegation-battling Al-Najma at home. However, the hosts endured a tough first 45 minutes, falling 1-0 behind and missing a penalty before scoring four in the second half against the 10-man visitors.
Al-Najma — fresh off their first victory in Saudi Pro League history when they beat Al-Kholood last week — arrived in Jeddah with confidence. Despite facing an in-form Al-Ahli, they controlled the tempo early on, forcing the hosts play on the back foot for much of the opening half hour.
The architect of Al-Najma’s bright start was Néstor El Maestro, returning to the Saudi Pro League for the first time in five years. After guiding the club to their first win in 21 matches, a result in Al-Ahli’s backyard would have provided the perfect reignite their survival bid.
El Maestro once said, “Life is too short to spend defending in a low block”, during his time at relegation-battling Göztepe in the Turkish Süper Lig in 2022. That philosophy defined Al-Najma’s bold approach against the reigning Asian Champions League Elite and Saudi Super Cup holders.
Initially, the strategy paid off. Davd Tijanić beat two Al-Ahli defenders with a deft move on the left flank in the 27th minute before releasing Lázaro, who finished past Édouard Mendy to hand the visitors a surprise lead.
Al-Ahli immediately pushed for an equaliser. Ivan Toney was brought down in the box in the 29th minute, only for the referee to wave away penalty appeals. Moments later, a handball inside Al-Najma’s area led to a lengthy VAR review and eventually a spot-kick for the hosts.
Toney, seeking his 21st goal of the campaign and boasting a perfect record from the spot for Al-Ahli, saw his penalty saved by Victor Braga. He pounced on the rebound, but Braga recovered to claim the ball and preserve the lead.
Braga continued to frustrate the hosts with several key saves before clashing into an opponent on the verge of half-time. The referee initially awarded a second penalty to Al-Ahli, but after a VAR review overturned the decision, Al-Najma went into the break still in front.
Al-Ahli knew a victory was essential on a pivotal weekend, with city rivals Al-Ittihad facing Al-Hilal in a clash that could influence the title race. Their response after the interval was swift, with Riyad Mahrez delivering a dipping cross that was met by Valentin Atangana, who headed in the equaliser.
Atangana was fouled ten minutes later, when Felippe Cardoso pushed him in the face. The Brazilian striker, already booked, received his marching orders from the referee.
With a numerical advantage, Al-Ahli asserted control. Roger Ibañez picked out Mahrez with a measured long pass over the top. The Algerian cushioned a first-time lay-off into Toney’s path, and the English striker finished clinically in the 69th minute.
Toney added his second of the evening — and 22nd of the season — in the 87th minute, meeting Matheus Gonçalves’ cross at the far post with a first-time finish. The Englishman completed his hat-trick in the fourth minute of stoppage time after Al-Najma conceded their second penalty of the night.
The win moves Al-Ahli level on points with Al-Hilal on 53 points, awaiting their game later this week. Meanwhile, El Maestro’s task with Al-Najma grows more difficult, as Al-Riyadh’s 2-0 victory over Al-Kholood in Qassim leaves Al-Najma eight points adrift of safety.
Elsewhere, Al-Ettifaq and Al-Fateh produced one of the season’s most entertaining encounters in an Eastern Province derby. Al-Ettifaq raced into a 3-0 lead inside 36 minutes, with goals from Khalid Al-Ghannam and Georginio Wijnaldum putting them firmly in control.
North African duo Mourad Batna and Sofiane Bendebka dragged Al-Fateh back into the contest with goals on either side of stoppage time in the first half. Madallah Al-Olayan restored Al-Ettifaq’s cushion in 48th minute, but Batna struck again in the 71st minute to set up a tense finale.
After seven goals in a back-and-forth thriller, Al-Ettifaq held on for a 4-3 victory in Dammam.
Saudi Pro League action resumes on Friday, with Al-Okhdood hosting Al-Qadsiah, Al-Taawoun welcoming Al-Fayha and Al-Shabab travelling to Khamis Mushait to face Damac. All games kick off at 10:00pm in the league’s unified Ramadan schedule.
