Arsenal vs Real Madrid LIVE: Gunners complete stunning comeback to reach Women’s Champions League semi-finals | OneFootball

Caldentey heads Arsenal level on aggregate (Getty Images)

Arsenal completed a dream comeback against Real Madrid in the second leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final to win 3-2 on aggregate and progress to the semi-finals for the eighth time in their history.

Renee Slegers’ team lost the first leg 2-0 away from home courtesy of goals from Linda Caicedo and Athenea del Castillo, and for the first 45 minutes at the Emirates it looked like the deadlock would never be broken - despite Arsenal dominating possession and spurning a host of chances.

But that all changed in the second half as the Gunners moved level with a quick-fire double in just two minutes and 48 seconds, with Alessia Russo turning in a fabulous Chloe Kelly cross for the opener before Mariona Caldentey knocked down another ball from the Manchester City loanee past keeper Misa.

Russo completed the turnaround ten minutes later with a brilliant team goal from a free-kick by Katie McCabe, and had a further two goals ruled out for offside as Arsenal continued to press.

Despite a late surge by Caicedo, the Gunners held on to secure a famous victory in front of a historic crowd of 22,517 - a new record crowd for the Women’s Champions League quarter-final in the UK.

They will play Lyon in the semis for a place in the final on 24 May in Lisbon, after the French side thrashed Bayern Munich 6-1 on aggregate (4-1 earlier on Wednesday).

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That’s all for tonight - same time tomorrow for the all-English second leg between Chelsea and Manchester City, as they bid to join Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals.

A reminder that the first legs for those come in the week of 19/20 April, with a place in May’s final in Lisbon up for grabs.

Flo Clifford26 March 2025 22:55

'Calm' the message at half-time, says Slegers

We’ll let Renee Slegers have the last word...

What was the message at half time, she’s asked, to kick off that remarkable comeback.

“Calm,” is the reply. “If we don’t stay calm we’re not going to find the solutions. We felt we were dominant. I could see in the players eyes, they were determined.”

Determined they were, and find the solutions they did.

Flo Clifford26 March 2025 22:52

'Still feels a bit surreal' - Alessia Russo on 'one of her best nights in an Arsenal shirt'

“It was amazing,” a still-beaming Alessia Russo tells Sky Sport. “Still feels a bit surreal right now, not really let it sink in yet. We’ve had a lot of belief all week.

“I think so [it was one of her best nights in an Arsenal shirt]. Hopefully long may that continue, but yeah that was special. VAR ruined that one but I should have scored a third anyway!

“We knew that we were doing well in the first half, as a team we felt like we had momentum. We knew we needed to score, Chloe [Kelly] put in some great crosses which set off the first two goals, and we were just consistent - we probably should have got a few more.”