Arsenal Women qualified for the knockouts despite Lyon Women producing one of the narrow football scores of the weekend in the Women’s Champions League. Eight-time champions Lyon won thanks to an own goal by Frida Maanum just before halftime, but the injury to Miedema will worry Group C leaders Arsenal the most because they only needed to avoid a four-goal loss to advance. During stoppage time at the conclusion of the first half, the WSL’s all-time leading scorer was attended to by medical personnel for a while before being removed with her leg completely bound up.
Lyon had a strong start, with Delphine Cascarino attempting to tyre out the home defence, but Arsenal came near in the 24th minute when Lotte Wubben-Moy headed over from a corner. Towards the end of the first half, the Gunners pressed once again because Katie McCabe’s cross to the back post was just too far in front of Caitlin Foord. Cascarino nodded a deep free-kick into the Arsenal penalty area across the six-yard box in first-half stoppage time, and Maanum deflected the ball into the goal for an own goal. Before the half, Miedema appeared to suffer a major knee injury after landing awkwardly while challenging for a loose ball, which made matters worse for Arsenal.
Miedema was replaced by Brazilian defender Rafaelle Souza for the second half, while England captain Leah Williamson moved up into a midfield position. McCabe entered the right side of the penalty box for Arsenal and launched a low, angled shot that Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler stopped at her near post. At the other end, Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger was directly hit by a cutback from Cascarino blasted by Lyon substitute Eugenie Le Sommer. The Lyon defence resisted the Gunners’ attempts to break through and score an equaliser.
For more football scores, click here
.
