Arsenal secured their spot in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Juventus, thanks to a late winner from Lina Hurtig in the 89th minute. Despite a dominant first-half performance, the Gunners were unable to break down Juventus’ defense until Hurtig capitalized on a costly defensive error by Martina Lenzini, sealing the crucial win.
The match had a slow start, with Juventus creating the first significant opportunity. Eva Schatzer’s strike was easily gathered by Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar. Arsenal, despite controlling possession, struggled to convert their chances. They had limited success in the first half, with only two shots on target from Juventus, but Arsenal’s attack could not find a breakthrough.
Arsenal’s manager, Renee Slegers, made timely substitutions, bringing on Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius, and Hurtig to inject fresh energy into the game. Hurtig, who had missed a golden opportunity earlier in the match by heading Kim Little’s cross over the bar from close range, redeemed herself in the dying minutes. Assisted by Blackstenius, Hurtig scored against her former team, securing a vital win for Arsenal.
This win leaves Arsenal with two group-stage games remaining, as they now await the final results to determine their positioning in the competition.
In other group-stage action, Barcelona moved closer to the quarter-finals with a dominant 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena. Barcelona has shown their prowess in the tournament, with Kika Nazareth opening the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalizing on a mistake from Kamila Dubcova. Nazareth then doubled her tally just nine minutes later with a close-range finish. Vicky Lopez added a third before halftime, scoring her first-ever goal in the competition.
Barcelona’s strong performance kept them just three points behind Manchester City, who secured a 2-1 victory over Hammarby. With a win over Hammarby next month, Barcelona will seal their progression to the next stage of the tournament.
