GiveMeSport
·23 April 2023
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·23 April 2023
Arsenal and Wolfsburg played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in the first leg of the Women’s Champions League semi-final.
The Gunners travelled to the Volkswagen Arena to take on the team which knocked them out at the quarter-final stage last season.
It looked as if Wolfsburg had the upper hand again in this season’s encounter, quickly taking a 2-0 lead through Ewa Pajor and Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir.
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But Arsenal showed resilience to get back into the match, despite an injury list which includes captain Kim Little, vice-captain Leah Williamson, and star attackers Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema.
Rafaelle Souza headed in Arsenal’s first goal just before half-time, with Stina Blackstenius then equalising in the 69th minute.
The remaining 20 minutes were incredibly nerve wracking for both sets of fans, with both Arsenal and Wolfsburg searching for a winner while trying to keep the other side out.
There was a particularly anxious moment for Arsenal fans when Katie McCabe barged into Lena Oberdorf, before arguing with the referee over the incident.
The match had gone into additional time when Oberdorf brought down Lia Wälti to stop her charge towards Wolfsburg’s goal.
The referee blew the whistle for a foul, but McCabe decided to take retribution herself, shoulder barging Oberdorf to the ground.
McCabe then remonstrated passionately with the referee, who gave a yellow card to both Oberdorf and the Arsenal star.
The two players, both of whom are known for their tough-tackling ability, shook hands after the incident.
The second leg between Arsenal and Wolfsburg will take place at the Emirates on Monday, May 1st.
Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall looked ahead to next week’s fixture as he praised his team in his post-match comments.
"It's amazing to see the resilience, the attitude and the work rate that the players have," he said.
"But it's only half-time. We're happy with the performance and the result but it's all up to be decided in London. We love playing in front of our supporters.
"I've heard we've sold 47,000 tickets. I think we have a very good chance of selling out the Emirates. Together we can make it possible to once again take Arsenal to a Champions League final. That's our dream."