Key occasions
Ajax have been camped in their very own half, however they get ahead in numbers right here, and Tiny Hoekstra turns her marker too simply. Her cross is half-cleared by Williamson and ricochets into the trail of Leuchter, who flicks the ball past Zinsberger!
GOAL! Arsenal 2-2 Ajax (Leuchter 82′)
Very a lot in opposition to the run of play, Ajax are degree!
Benfica have retaken the lead at Ibrox, with Paula Encinas on track. Rangers 2-3 Benfica, with 10 minutes or so to play.
80 minutes: McCabe targets Foord once more and the ahead will get clattered by Kop. The flag was up, however that gained’t be a lot consolation to Foord, left crumpled in a heap.
78 minutes: Isa Kardinaal will get throughout to chop out a McCabe via ball, aimed toward Foord. The centre-back is simply 17, however has appeared very composed tonight – the one Ajax defender to not be booked.
76 minutes: It appears like Foord will transfer up entrance, with McCabe dropping in on the left facet of the three behind her.
75 minutes: From the free kick, Steph Catley squeezes past the again line however sees her shot smothered by Kop.
74 minutes: Caitlin Foord slaloms ahead, and has her heels clipped by Noordam. Blackstenius heads off, changed by Katie McCabe …
72 minutes: Arsenal have misplaced a few of that depth, maybe holding one thing again for a late assault on the tiring Ajax defence.
69 minutes: Lisa Doorn joins two of her defensive cohorts within the e book for a foul on Blackstenius.
67 minutes: Kim Little requires therapy after one other heavy problem, however is OK to proceed.
65 minutes: Foord wins a free kick 20 yards out after battling for the ball. Beth Mead takes it, however scoops her effort over the bar. Van der Most is booked for the problem on Foord.
63 minutes: Miedema performs the ball again to Williamson, advancing from centre-back. With no one closing her down, the England captain strikes forwards and fires a 30-yarder simply huge!
61 minutes: Arsenal shall be eager to take greater than a one-goal cushion into the second leg – notably with Ajax not enjoying of their league this week. A primary change for the guests right here, Isabelle Hoekstra changing Weerden on the wing.
Two quickfire objectives at Ibrox, the place Ana Vitoria scored her second aim to place Benfica forward – just for McCoy to degree along with her second of the sport moments later. It’s Rangers 2-2 Benfica.
60 minutes: Ajax get ahead however with Leuchter down and interesting in useless for a foul, Grant has little choice however to strive an bold effort that flies huge.
58 minutes: Caitlin Foord is on, changing Hurtig. Mead wanted a little bit of therapy for a doable head damage after that foul, however she is continuous for now.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Ajax (Little pen 57′)
The captain waits for Kop to maneuver, then strokes the ball into the opposite nook. Cool as you want!
Penalty to Arsenal! The strain tells, Soraya Verhoeve penalised for an unseemly shove on Beth Mead. She is booked, and Kim Little will take the spot kick …
54 minutes: It looks like virtually each Arsenal participant has come shut on this second half already. Blackstenius appears sure to attain as she bursts past the defence – however Kop pushes the ball away because the striker tries to go around her.
53 minutes: Hurtig is effectively marshalled by Chasity Grant, again on her personal byline. From the nook, Rafaelle’s shot rattles the submit!
51 minutes: Maritz shoots from the nook of the world, Kop claws it away. Arsenal racking up the photographs on aim right here …
50 minutes: Arsenal have began the second half with better depth, trying to unsettle a youthful Ajax again line that has held up very effectively to date. This time, Hurtig’s cutback is cleared behind, and Rafaelle heads huge from the nook.
49 minutes: Miedema cuts in from the left facet, dances round a defender and curls her shot simply huge of the far nook. Moments later, Blackstenius assessments Kop with a low effort from distance.
47 minutes: No adjustments for both workforce at half-time, however Arsenal make a fast begin. Steph Catley muscle mass into the world, and her shot crashes off the skin of the submit!
“Arsenal want a little bit of oomph in midfield – Maanum on for Walti?” ponders Charles Antaki. “This might by no means have occurred when Jill Roord was enjoying … the Outdated Days already.”
Peep!
The second half is beneath manner.
Benfica have levelled at Ibrox – it’s 1-1 at half-time there. Two earlier playoff outcomes to deliver you: Juventus needed to accept a 1-1 draw in opposition to Køge in Denmark, whereas Lea Schuller bought the one aim as Bayern Munich gained 1-0 at Actual Sociedad.
Whilst you’re right here, why not join our weekly girls’s soccer publication? Transferring the Goalposts drops into inboxes each Wednesday, so it’s best to get your first version tomorrow.
Half time: Arsenal 1-1 Ajax
A really even and entertaining half, with Arsenal under their finest and the guests inflicting loads of issues.
44 minutes: Extra defensive uncertainty for Arsenal on the finish of the half, with Leuchter getting in entrance of Rafaelle and forcing Zinsberger right into a fantastic save at her close to submit! Catley acrobatically clears the rebound, and when the ball comes again into the world, Leuchter is offside.
42 minutes: Blackstenius has appeared somewhat remoted at instances within the first half, however Mead, Miedema and Hurtig – all succesful centre-forwards – are starting to supply extra assist. Miedema will get a sight on aim right here, however miscues her shot huge.
40 minutes: Beth Mead virtually pounces on a via ball that catches out the Ajax again line, however Kop is off her line shortly to clear.
37 minutes: Kim Little races onto the ball down the correct, however her reduce is intercepted. Ajax clear the nook and break, however Weerden’s cross from the correct is definitely claimed by Zinsberger.
35 minutes: Arsenal are attempting to take care of possession larger up the pitch and sluggish the tempo a bit after that end-to-end first half-hour.
A giant aim replace from elsewhere: Rangers lead Benfica 1-0 via Kayla McCoy at Ibrox. That recreation additionally kicked off at 7.30pm, BST.
30 minutes: It’s been a energetic first half-hour, with Ajax posing loads of menace however Arsenal exhibiting they’ve an additional gear or two when required.
27 minutes: Leah Williamson has sturdy phrases along with her defensive colleagues, however moments later they’re again in bother. Leuchter latches on to a via ball, however fires her shot straight on the keeper. Arsenal with some defensive points to iron out, right here.
26 minutes: Ajax threaten once more, with Van der Most’s harmful cross fizzing previous two forwards within the field …
25 minutes: Vivianne Miedema, who has been deployed in a deeper position by Eidevall in current months, closes down Kop’s clearance and the deflection loops simply huge.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Ajax (Blackstenius 23′)
She doesn’t miss this time! The centre ahead reacts quickest after Rafaelle’s header got here again off the bar from a nook.
20 minutes: An opportunity for the hosts to strike again, as Hurtig is introduced down on the sting of the world. Beth Mead goes for aim, Kop spills the ball – however Blackstenius can not hook the rebound contained in the submit.
Arsenal give the ball away cheaply from a throw-in and Ajax advance. As defenders again off Nadine Noordam, she threads a pinpoint via ball to Chasity Grant, whose low cross is turned residence by Romée Leuchter!
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Ajax (Leuchter 17’)
The guests have had the higher openings to date, and now they lead after a beautiful workforce aim!
15 minutes: Sherida Spitse has a shot from distance that’s well-struck, however comfortably held by Zinsberger.
14 minutes: Maritz finds house down the correct once more, and her cross from the byline virtually finds Hurtig, lurking close to the far submit.
“Van Gool on the Ajax bench is an excellent instance of nominative determinism in soccer,” notes Peter Oh. I additionally really feel like keeper Kop is destined to hitch Liverpool in the future.
10 minutes: Arsenal are but to place any actual strain on the guests, who’ve been energetic and well-organised. Maritz hooks in a cross from deep on the correct, however Lize Kop is off her line to say it.
Apologies for the marginally sluggish begin there – it appears the one method to watch this recreation stay (within the UK, no less than) is through the Arsenal web site, on a stream that took a minute or two to click on into gear.
4 minutes: An early probability for the guests right here, although, as Weerden wins the ball on the sting of the Arsenal space and finds Pelova, whose shot is parried away by Zinsberger.
3 minutes: Arsenal, of their conventional purple and white, are transferring the ball round in midfield whereas Ajax, kitted out in all-navy, are urgent with intent.
Peep!
We’re beneath manner at Meadow Park.
One thing to bookmark for later: Girls’s Soccer Weekly returns, with a full assessment of the opening spherical of WSL fixtures and extra.
Simply three adjustments from the WSL win over Brighton for Arsenal, with each full-backs changed – Noëlle Maritz changing Laura Wienrother, Steph Catley in for Katie McCabe. Lina Hurtig, who signed this summer time from Juventus, makes her first begin instead of Caitlin Foord.
Not like Arsenal’s multi-national lineup, Ajax’s squad is comprised solely from Dutch gamers. Rising stars Victoria Pelova and Romée Leuchter may cause the hosts issues, whereas the captain, Sherida Spitse, can be the skipper for her nationwide workforce.
Crew information
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Zinsberger; Maritz, Williamson, Rafaelle, Catley; Wälti, Little (c); Mead, Miedema, Hurtig; Blackstenius.
Subs: Marckese, Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Nobbs, Maanum, McCabe, Foord, Wienroither, Agyemany, Earl, Reid.
Ajax (4-3-3): Kop; Van der Most, Kardinaal, Doorn, Verhoeve; Noordam, Spitse (c), Pelova; Grant, Leuchter, Weerden.
Subs: Bussman, Van der Wal, Munsterman, Tromp, Kruize, Keijzer, Hoekstra, Bakker, Van Gool, Sabajo.
Preamble
After their routine opening WSL win over Brighton was made to look far much less routine by Manchester Metropolis and Chelsea’s subsequent slip-ups, Arsenal have the prospect to take care of their sturdy begin to the season by claiming a spot within the Champions League group levels.
Ending second to Chelsea within the league final season means Jonas Eidevall’s facet averted the tough spherical of mini-knockouts that put paid to Manchester Metropolis’s hopes. As an alternative, they start within the last qualifying spherical, a two-legged playoff with the Dutch runners-up, Ajax, who overcame Eintracht Frankfurt to get right here.
An rising quite than established European pressure within the girls’s recreation, Ajax’s deepest run on this match got here in 2018-19, once they misplaced 13-0 on mixture to Lyon within the final 16. Arsenal shall be very heat favourites to progress however can not afford to underestimate a facet with loads of younger attacking expertise.
With the North London derby on the Emirates on Saturday, a return leg in Amsterdam subsequent week and new signings to mattress in, Eidevall has just a few tough choice calls to make to maintain his workforce contemporary whereas avoiding a dreaded early European exit. Kick-off is at 7.30pm.