Eighteen shots, and still a goal down
Barcelona had 18 attempts at Arsenal before half-time at the Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday night. They walked off at the break losing.
That was the odd shape of a 1-1 draw in the Women’s Champions League league phase, a game Renée Slegers’ side spent mostly inside their own half and still left with a point. Misa Rodriguez kept them alive early. Caroline Graham Hansen stung her palms after seven minutes, and three minutes later the Arsenal goalkeeper stood up to Sydney Schertenleib from point-blank range.
Then, out of nowhere, Arsenal scored. Caitlin Foord’s shot on 22 minutes was stopped, the ball ran loose and Frida Maanum got there first to tuck it away. It was about the only time the visitors escaped the pressure before the interval.
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Hansen finds her way through
Barcelona never stopped coming. Patri Guijarro wasted a glorious opening from a Hansen cross on 34 minutes, and Hansen herself headed against the post three minutes into first-half stoppage time.
The Norway winger got her reward on 59 minutes. Arsenal left her too much space, and she bent a gorgeous curling shot out of Rodriguez’s reach. Most of the ground expected a flood after that. It never came. Barcelona ran low on energy, and the best chance of the final half-hour actually fell to Arsenal: Alessia Russo hit it first time on 66 minutes and sent it over the bar.
Lyon up next
Arsenal beat this Barcelona side in the 2025 final in Lisbon. Thursday was no repeat, but a draw away to the reigning European champions is worth plenty in this format.
The point lifts the Gunners back into the top four, the places that lead straight to the knockout rounds, and leaves them two points behind leaders Lyon. Their next assignment? Lyon, next week.
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