Match report: Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal
Women’s Champions League: Suzanne Wrack was at the Estadio Johan Cruyff to see Arsenal get taken to school by the European champions. Here is how she saw the action unfold.
Elsewhere in Europe: Ada Hegerberg, the inugural winner of the women’s Ballon d’Or in 2018, made a welcome return to action tonight after a 21-month absence with a serious knee injury. The Norwegian came off the bench to play the final 12 minutes of Lyon’s 3-0 win over Swedish side Hacken.
Ada Hegerberg made her first appearance in 21 months as Lyon began their Group D campaign with a 3-0 win over Häcken in Sweden. Melvine Malard fired the visitors in front from Daniëlle van de Donk's cross after 10 minutes, before Catarina Macario's volley and a Stine Larsen own goal made the game safe early in the second half. Hegerberg [pictured] came off the bench late on for her first minutes since suffering a cruciate ligament injury in January 2020.
In the group's other game, Benfica held Bayern Munich to a goalless draw in Portugal. In Group C, Hoffenheim produced a dominant display to beat Danish side HB Køge 5-0. Katharina Naschenweng put the hosts in front before a second-half flurry of goals, with defender Tine De Caigny on target twice. Hoffenheim travel to Meadow Park to face Arsenal in their second match, on 14 October.
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Our nine-game winning streak comes to an end. @UWCL 🏆 pic.twitter.com/LPdfCTikpB
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) October 5, 2021
Not a bad way to celebrate your European title defence, with all the individual silver from last season’s heroics… pic.twitter.com/Dutlt9C8ah
— Suzy Wrack (@SuzyWrack) October 5, 2021
An interesting game: As European champions, Barcelona certainly threw down a marker tonight, swatting aside a team that had won nine consecutive WSL and Champions League matches this season while scoring an average of more than three goals per game.
Arsenal were huge underdogs going into this game and can look back on a 15-20 minute spell in the second half when they almost looked their hosts’ equals. However, this may have had more to do with Barca taking their foot off the gas than any excellence on their own part.
It did not go unnoticed that once Arsenal grabbed their consolation goal, Barcelona quickly reasserted their dominance. As good as the English side have been in the WSL this season, they were totally outclassed tonight.
A quick recap: Despite bossing Arsenal in the opening half, Barcelona didn’t score until shortly after the half-hour, when Mariona Caldentey fired home on the follow-up after a shot from Asisat Oshoala was saved by Manuela Zinsberger. They doubled their lead moments before the break, with skipper Alexia stabbing home a pull-back from Oshoala. The excellent Oshoala got her own name on the scoresheet very early in the second half, getting in behind the Arsenal defence to slot home.
At 3-0 down, Arsenal finally perked up and their best spell of the game was rewarded with a goal for Frida Maanum, who bundled home a Tobin Heath free-kick from the right. Apparently unimpressed by their opponents cheek, Barcelona went through the gears again and reasserted their dominance with a goal from the lively substitute Lieke Martens. Awarded a penalty deep in added time, Alexia was foiled from the spot by Manuela Zinsberger.
Full time: Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeep! It’s all over at the Estadio Johan Cruyff, where Barcelona have won at a canter to get their Champions League defence off to a flyer.
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Manuela Zinsberger saves!!!
Alexia misses from 12 yards. She fired her effort down the centre, hoping Zinsberger would dive early. The Arsenal goalkeeper was on her way left but not so quickly that she wasn’t able to save comfortably.
PENALTY FOR BARCELONA!
Jordan Nobbs lunges in to try to win the ball from Alexia; Jana Adamkova blows her whistle and points to the spot.
90+2 min: We’re deep into three minutes of added time and Barcelona are hungry for more goals. A cross from the right into the Arsenal box is thumped clear.
90 min: Parris is played in behind and goes to ground on the right side of the Barca six yard box after Sandra Panos saves at her feet. Parris appeals for a penalty but it’s the goalkeeper, who is just back from injury, who was fouled. She’s shipped an accidental knee to the head but is fit to continue after treatment.
88 min: From a Barcelona corner, Zinsberger is forced to claw the ball away from her own goalline with a terrific save from Paredes and a teammate hacks clear. Arsenal are very much back on the ropes, being made pay for their impertinence after scoring a goal.
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86 min: He may look cherubic but he’s no angel. Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall is booked for something or other – I didn’t see what.
GOAL! Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal (Martens 84)
Well, that was in the post. A threat since she came on, Lieke Martens gets on the scoresheet. Played in behind the Arsenal defence, she leaves two rivalk in her dust, survives a blatant shove and slots the ball past Manuela Zinsberger.
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83 min: Barca substitution: Bruna Vilamala on for the outstanding Mariona Caldentey.
81 min: Martens has been extremely menacing since coming on for Barca and this time sends a looping shot narrowly wide.
80 min: Arsenal substitution: Mana Iwabuchi on for Kim Little.
79 min: Martens hooks the ball wide of the upright after connecting with a Hansen cross from the right.
76 min: Barcelona substitution: Fridolina Rolfoe on for Ana Crnogorcevic.
76 min: Moments before that goal, Arsenal substitute Nikita Parris had a shot from the edge of the Barca penalty area blocked on the line after Sandra Panos had gone walkabout from her goal-line.
GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal (Maanum 73)
Arsenal pull one back! And it’s no more than they deserve on the back of their play in the past 10 minutes. They won a free-kick wide on the right, Tobin Heath whipped the ball into the penalty area past two team-mates and Frida Maanum bundled it home with her hip.
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72 min: Leah Williamson loses her footing and is unable to prevent a crossfield pass dropping to Lieke Martens, who has just come on for Asisat Oshoala. The Dutch midfielder pulls her shot narrowly wide of the upright.
71 min: Arsenal substitution: Jordan Nobbs on for Lia Walti.
70 min: Arsenal corner. Tobin Heath takes it short, creates an angle and gets a cross to the far post, trying to pick out Jen Beattie. It’s this much too high.
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68 min: Better from Arsenal, who are at least spending a bit more time in the Barcelona half and enjoying periods of sustained possession. They lose it on this occasion thanks to a sloppy pass in midfield from Lia Walti.
65 min: Barca’s Aitana Bonmati has a shot from inside the Arsenal penalty area blocked after getting on the end of a pull-back from Caroline Graham Hansen. The Norweigian has been wreaking havoc down the right for the homes side. Arsenal can’t contain her at all.
62 min: The hugely impressive Mariona Caldentey shoots from 30 yards out and her curled effort isn’t a bad one. It’s not good enough, though and the ball drifts a couple of yards high and wide.
60 min: Heath tries her luck from distance but shoots wide for Arsenal.
59 min: Those Arsenal subs: Tobin Heath, Nikita Parris and Caitlin Foord on for Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Katie McCabe.
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59 min: Alexia plays a wonderful first time ball around the corner into the path of Graham Hansen, who shoots from a tight angle. Zinsberger saves again.
57 min: Arsenal triple-substitution, of which more anon. They’ve replaced their front three. For Barcelona, Caroline Graham Hansen slaloms through the Arsenal defence and unleashes a shot, forcing Zinsberger to save at her near post.
55 min: Hats off to Manuela Zinsberger, who saved superbly from Alexia when the Barcelona midfielder was through on goal and unleashed a shot.
52 min: Arsenal are pressed into submission, forced to concede a throw-in halfway inside their own half. They are not being given a second on the ball by a team that is 3-0 up and cruising.
50 min: Arsenal’s goal survives a brief peppering, then Beth Mead is booked for unceremoniously dragging Mariona Caldentey out of her way as she tried to get forward.
48 min: Some admin: moments after the second half started, Barcelona defender Irene Parades was booked for a foul on Katie McCabe.
GOAL! Barcelona 3-0 Arsenal (Oshoala 47)
Oh dear. Asisat Oshoala runs on to a low ball in behind the Arsenal defence, takes a couple of touches to steady herself and calmly slots a low ball past the helpless Manuela Zinsberger.
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Second half: Barcelona 2-0 Arsenal
46 min: Arsenal get the second half started, desperate to get a foothold in this game. It seems unlikely and there’ll be little or no shame, or dire consequences in defeat tonight. Two teams from each group go through to the knockout stages and it’s extremely unlikely either of the other teams will take points of Barcelona at home or away.
Not just what Barca do on the ball that makes them so tough to play. Every less than perfect touch or pass, every time you try to take an extra touch, they take it off you. You get so little of the ball but when you have it, you have to be 100% perfect.
— Tim Stillman (@Stillberto) October 5, 2021
Barcelona are hugely impressive. They are excellent in possession and just as good on the comparatively rare occasions they don’t have the ball. They’ve been playing through Arsenal’s press with ease, while Arsenal’s front trio of Katie McCabe, Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead have barely had a kick outside their own half.
Half-time: Barcelona 2-0 Arsenal
Peep! Arsenal go in for the break two goals down, with Mariona Caldentey and Asisat Oshoala having done the damage for Barcelona. It could have been a lot worse for the WSL side, who have been second best in almost every department. The European champions have had 19 attempts on goal to their visitors’ ... none.
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44 min: Arsenal’s players appealed in vain for offside against Oshoala in the build-up to that goal and they may have had a case. There’s no VAR in the Champions League group stages, however, so if the Nigerian was offside they’ll just have to suck it up.
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GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Arsenal (Alexia 43)
Barca double their lead. Asisat Oshoala is played in behind the Arsenal defence down the inside right. She advances towards the byline and pulls the ball back into the path of Alexia, who stabs it home from seven or eight yards out.
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40 min: There’s a brief pause in play as Lia Walti hurts her ankle as she sticks out a leg to block a venomous shot from Aitana Bonmati.
38 min: Ana Crnogorevic wins a corner for Barcelona. The ball’s sent into the Arsenal penalty area and the visitors clear ... eventually.
37 min: A pass into the channel for Oshoala, who advances towards the Arsenal penalty area. Leah Williamson does enough to shepherd her away from goal so her shot from a tight angle only troubles the side netting.
35 min: Vivianne Miedema plughs a lone furrow down the left flank but is immediately swarmed by several Barcelona defenders. Aitana Bonmati relieves Miedema of possession and clears.
34 min: Barca threaten again. Aitana Bonmati is given the freedom of the pitch to advance infield from the inside right before unleashing a low drive. Zinsberger saves with a minimum of fuss.
GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Arsenal (Caldentey 31)
Barca lead! And it’s been coming. Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger got down to parry a low Asisat Oshoala shot from the edge of the area, but Mariona Caldentey was first to the rebound and had time to take not just one but two touches before slotting into the gaping goal. Where were Arsenal’s defenders?!?!?!?
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31 min: Our match referee halts play to have a word with Katie McCabe, who’d kicked the ball away from the feet of a Barcelona player who had just won a throw-in.
30 min: Caldentey sends another cross into the Arsenal penalty area, trying to pick out Oshoala. Her delivery drifts wide of the far post.
28 min: Arsenal goalkeeper Zinsberger sends a clearance aimed towards Lia Walti straight out of play under no pressure whatsoever. A throw-in for Barcelona, just inside the Arsenal half.
25 min: Alexia aims for the top right-hand corner but the Arsenal defensive wall does its job. The ball goes out for a corner, from which nothing comes.
25 min: Free-kick for Barca, right on the edge of the Arsenal box, a little right of centre for a Katie McCabe barge on Caroline Graham Hansen.
23 min: Another Graham Hansen cross from deep into the Arsenal box, aimed towards Oshoala. It’s half-cleared but Jen Beattie is forced to block another shot from the edge of the box.
22 min: With a quarter of the game gone, Arsenal are very much on the back foot but the deadlock remains unbroken. They’ll be happy enough with that.
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20 min: Vivianne Miedema takes my advice and tries to take advantage of the acres of luch, green, verdant space behind Arsenal defence. Offside.
18 min: Barcelona are defending with a ridiculously high defensive line, their back four all standing on the halfway line as Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger shapes to release the ball. There’s defintie potential to get in behind them but Arsenal need some time on the ball first.
15 min: Another cross from Graham Hansen, this time a low one, is blocked in the Arsenal penalty area by Jennifer Beattie. Arsenal really need to do more to stop Barca getting so many balls into their box.
14 min: Barca take this one short too, before sending a cross to the far post courtesy of Graham Hansen. Zinsberger is forced to save well from a header.
11 min: Barcelona win a corner and take it short. An attempted cross into the Arsenal box is blocked by Vivianne Miedema. Moments later, Barca win another corner.
9 min: A low, hard, diagonal shot from Asisat Oshoala, who was played in behind the Arsenal defence by a nicely weighted pass, fizzes narrowly wide of the far post.
8 min: Caroline Graham Hansen advances through the centre, taking the ball between two Arsenal defenders. Her attempted shot is deflected out wide and a cross comes in. The ball ends up in the gloves of Zinsberger. Arsenal are seriously under the cosh.
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6 min: Mariona Caldentey picks up a pass from Graham Hansen on the right side of the Arsenal penalty area and unleashes a shot. It’s tipped around the post by Manuela Zinsberger. Nothing comes from the ensuing corner.
4 min: Arsenal break upfield with Katie McCabe on the ball. She tries to curl a cross into the path of Beth Mead on the edge of the Barcelona penalty area, but her delivery is a mite behind the intended target.
4 min: It’s been a nervy opening few minutes from Arsenal, who are struggling to get a moment’s peace on the ball.
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2 min: Barcelona get forward again, with Caroline Grtaham Hansen sending a cross towards the far post trying to pick out Asisat Oshoala. Arsenal clear.
1 min: Barcelona go on the front foot very early doors, with Mariona Caldenetey getting down the inside left and trying to pull the ball across the face of the Arsenal goal. It’s blocked.
Barcelona v Arsenal is go ...
1 min: The players take a knee to warm applause from the sizeable crowd before Barcelona get the ball rolling.
Wait, hold on. First we have some presentations of individual awards to assorted Barcelona players from last season’s Champions League to get through. As if Arsenal need reminding of the quality they’re up against!
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Not long now: The players of both teams emerge from the tunnel led by Czech referee Jana Adamkova and her team of match officials. Arsenal’s players wear yellow shirts, shorts and socks. Their hosts are ... well, Barcelona. They line up for the Champions League anthem and we’re just a few handshakes, some photos, an exhange of pennants, a coin-toss and a shrill blast of Ms Adamkova’s whistle away from kick-off.
Warm-ups: The teams are out warming up ahead of kick-off, the players of Barcelona wearing very fetching training tops indeed. They’re black with a purple crest. [Makes mental note to enquire if they come in a men’s XXXL].
Meanwhile in the USA: Orlando Pride and United States forward Alex Morgan has called for the National Women’s Soccer League to end the “systemic failure” that enabled a decade of alleged sexual misconduct harassment of players by a number of the league’s coaches.
Elsewhere in Group C: The final whistle has blown in Hoffenheim’s game against HB Koge and the German side have run out easy 5-0 winners against their Danish visitors.
Barcelona v Arsenal line-ups
Barcelona (4-3-3): Paño; Torrejón, Paredes, Maria León, Crnogorčević; Bonmatí, Guijarro, Alexia; Graham Hansen, Oshoala, Mariona
Subs: Coll, Font, Fernàndez, Melanie, Pina, Hermoso, Ouahabi, Rolfö, Pereira, Vilamala, Martens, Syrstad Engen
Arsenal (4-3-3): Zinsberger; Maritz, Williamson, Beattie, Catley; Wälti, Little, Maanum; Mead, Miedema, McCabe
Subs: Williams, Cull, Wubben-Moy, Patten, Nobbs, Parris, Foord, Schnaderbeck, Iwabuchi, Heath
Referee: Jana Adámková (Cze)
💛 OUR STARTING XI TONIGHT 💛
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) October 5, 2021
🏴 @leahcwilliamson in defence
🏴 #CaptainLittle leads the team
🇳🇱 @VivianneMiedema starts @UWCL 🏆 pic.twitter.com/vhtFfEqF1f
Well? No, not in the group stages. But there will be from the quarter-finals onwards.
Is there VAR? Decision pending ...
Jonas Eidevall speaks ...
“I’m not scared of anything and don’t think my players are either,” said Arsenal’s young Swedish coach ahead of tonight’s game. “We understand it is a challenge and we understand we have to be our best version of ourselves, but that is just exciting. We will bring everything on the field tomorrow.”
Asked for his thoughts on tonight’s opposition, Edievall said tonight’s match against the European champions would constitute a step up for his players. “It’s a very good football team, but they are also beatable,” he said. “It’s 11 humans against 11 humans tomorrow. In Sweden we say ‘a shovel is a shovel’. And a football game is a football game. I’m really looking forward to the football game, but no fear at all.
“It’s important to emphasise Barcelona is the best team - and I mean team in capital letters - the way they are playing and especially in offense. Of course this is what drives us, to see how good we can be and how close we are to the best in the world.”
Arsenal come in to tonight’s game on the back of a nine-game winning streak in which they’ve been scoring for fun, something Eidevall was keen to emphasise. “We have scored basically not less than three goals in any competitive game we have played so far,” he said. “It also means that we have also a nice edge in our offense and I hope we can show that tomorrow.”
Early team news: Both squads boast fairly clean bills of health, but Barcelona No10 Jenni Hermoso suffered an ankle ligament injury in training back in August and while back training, is unlikely to feature tonight.
Signed by Arsenal from Juventus in July, Danish defender Simone Boye Sorensen is sidelined with a knee injury, as is Swiss midfielder Malin Gut.
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Preview: When Uefa announced that the Women’s Champions League would be reformatted to include a group stage there was widespread support. In many ways it was very overdue. Now, on the eve of the first group games, there is momentum behind the competition like never before. Words: Suzanne Wrack.
Aston Villa 0-4 Arsenal: Arsenal warmed up for tonight’s game with a comfortable WSL win over Aston Villa on Saturday, a match in which Kim Little scored her 150th goal for the club. You can read about that and all the rest of the weekend talking points in this column by Suzanne Wrack and Sarah Rendall.
Women's Champions League: Barcelona v Arsenal
Arsenal get their Champions League group stage campaign off to an intimidating start with a visit to holders Barcelona Femeni. Having finished third in the Women’s Super League last season, they qualified for the group stages with wins over Kazak side Okzhetpes and PSV from the Netherlands, before seeing off Czech side Slavia Prague with a 7-0 aggregate victory over two legs.
Following the summer departure of their Australian coach Joe Montemurro, they are now managed by the 38-year-old Swede Jonas Eidevall and currently sit top of the WSL after four games, with four wins from four games, including an opening weekend win over Emma Hayes’s champions Chelsea.
They will have it all to do against a Barcelona side that has won 19 of their last 23 Champions League matches and each of their last nine in this competition at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. Kick-off is at 8pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
