LONDON: Arsenal eased into the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League and set up a tie with rivals Chelsea with a second-leg play-off win over OH Leuven.
The Gunners had done the job in Belgium last week, winning 4-0 in the first leg, so were able to take their foot off the gas a little at Meadow Park. England striker Alessia Russo broke the deadlock on the night when she spun away from her defender and dribbled the ball over the line midway through the first half.
She confirmed victory later on with another smart turn to make it 7-1 on aggregate, after Mariona Caldentey had scored from the penalty spot for Arsenal. OH Leuven, who had threatened before, celebrated enthusiastically when they equalised through Sara Pusztai in the first half but it ultimately proved to be ineffective.
There was a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) delay when the goal was originally ruled out for offside in the build-up, but Pusztai had coolly slotted away Kim Everaerts’ pull-back inside the six-yard area. The wind swirled violently and heavy rain impacted Arsenal’s play. They were sloppy in possession and error-prone in defence, giving away chances for OH Leuven.
