Real Madrid CF ON SI

Real Madrid 2-0 Arsenal: Advantage Las Blancas In The UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter Final

Real Madrid Femenino take an important two goal lead into next week's second leg in London.
Joe Rusling|
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Real Madrid defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on a wet night at Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano.

Las Blancas secured passage to the Champions League knockout phase on the road to Lisbon, having finished 2nd in Group B, behind English Women's Super League leaders Chelsea.

Their opponents in the quarter-finals are Arsenal. They sit 2nd behind Chelsea in the WSL and come into this Champions League clash after topping Group C, including Bayern Munich and Juventus. The Gunners are the only English club to have won the Women's Champions League, crowned champions in the 2006/07 season.

Alberto Toril rotated the pack during their La Liga F draw against Deportivo Abanca at the weekend, as the big hitters returned to the Madrid starting XI, including top scorer Signe Bruun, Linda Caicedo, and most notably, former Arsenal star Caroline Weir back against her former side.

Arsenal manager Renée Slegers made three changes from the weekend's victory against Everton. Stina Blackstenius and Beth Mead came into the attack, while Kyra Cooney-Cross was preferred to Lia Walti.

The game started evenly, and Real Madrid took the lead after Caicedo pounced on Leah Williamson's mistake. The Colombian cooly slotted home into the bottom corner after going through one-on-one with Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger.

As the game went on, the pitch got gradually worse, with players on both sides struggling to play fluid football due to the conditions. Arsenal legend Ian Wright had this to say on his Instagram story:

Watching the Champions League quarter-final. Real Madrid’s pitch is worse than Derby’s in the League Cup [on Saturday]. It’s a disgrace the pitches these girls have to play on.
Ian Wright

Linda Caicedo continued to threaten the Arsenal backline, as referee Frida Klarlund waved away the Colombian's claims after she was bought down by Williamson in the box early in the second half. VAR was in operation tonight but did not overturn the decision.

Arsenal grew into the game but struggled to test Real Madrid goalkeeper Misa. They had a shout for a penalty on 68 minutes when Blackstenius took a tumble in the box, again waved away by Klarlund.

Toril made a bold call to replace Caicedo on 75 minutes, who was Real Madrid's best player throughout the night. However, his decision paid off as her replacement, Athenea, cut inside and fired home to make it two on eighty-two minutes.

Madrid held on and take a valuable two-goal lead to Meadow Park next Wednesday. Arsenal have been in devastating goal-scoring form at home this season, scoring twenty-six goals from their eight WSL home games, meaning the tie is by no means over.

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Joe Rusling
JOE RUSLING

Joe Rusling is a UK-born sports journalist, based in Madrid. A European soccer enthusiast, he has appeared on Real Madrid TV and Sleeper Football. Covering Bayern Munich, PSG and Real Madrid On SI.

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