
London, 02 April (H.S.):
Reigning champions Arsenal have advanced to the semi‑finals of the Women’s Champions League, despite a 1–0 defeat to Chelsea in the quarter‑final second leg. On aggregate, Arsenal progressed 3–2, having built a 3–1 advantage in the first leg and holding on to qualify for the last four.
In the match at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, Chelsea’s Sjoeke Nüsken scored a goal in stoppage time (90+4), but it was not enough to take her side through. In the final moments, Chelsea’s Wieke Bosma rattled the post with a shot, while Arsenal goalkeeper Daphné van Domselaar made a superb save to block Nüsken’s header.
At the end of the match, Chelsea’s head coach Sonia Bompastor was shown a red card.
Chelsea dominated proceedings from the outset, with Sam Kerr playing a key role in the attacking line.
Arsenal will now face either VfL Wolfsburg or Lyon in the
semi‑finals.
Meanwhile, in the other quarter‑final tie, Bayern Munich produced a splendid comeback to defeat Manchester United 2–1 and qualify 5–3 on aggregate. Glódís Vigfúsdóttir equalised in the 81st minute with a headed goal from a corner, before Linda Dallmann scored the winner in the 84th minute to seal the tie.
In the first half, Manchester United’s Melvine Malard had scored in the 11th minute, taking the total aggregate score to 3–3 and briefly levelling the contest. However, Bayern applied sustained pressure in the second half and ultimately clinched the victory.
Bayern Munich will now face either Barcelona or Real Madrid in the semi‑finals. The remaining quarter‑final fixtures are scheduled for today: Barcelona, carrying a 6–2 first‑leg lead, will host Real Madrid, while Wolfsburg, leading 1–0 on aggregate, will travel to face Lyon.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar