Arsenal host Juventus in the Women’s Champions League this evening hoping to move one step closer to securing a spot in the knockout rounds.
It is the fourth fixture of the group stages and Renée Slegers’s side sit second in Group C with six points. Those points come courtesy of big wins over Valarenga (4-1) and Juventus (4-0) meaning they would be all but guaranteed a spot in the knockout rounds.
The Gunners also head into this game on the back of a superb north London derby win over Spurs in the WSL and Slegers will hope to keep that momentum going as she eyes silverware at the backend of the season.
There is some jeopardy for Arsenal however. Juventus are currently on three points and would join the Gunners on six should they triumph at the Emirates Stadium meaning Arsenal need to be defensively solid to avoid an upset.
Follow all the action with our live blog below:
Arsenal vs Juventus LIVE
-
Arsenal fave Juventus in the WCL, live on DAZN
-
Renee Slegers’s side have won two of their three group games so far
-
The Gunners defeated Juventus 4-0 away from home in their last Champions League outing
Half-time! Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:48 , Mike Jones
45 mins: No added minutes to be played and the whistle goes to end the first half. Arsenal seem very frustrated out there.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:46 , Mike Jones
42 mins: What will Renee Slegers think of this first half? Arsenal haven’t been near their best but that’s down to the performance of their opponents who have come here with the aim of no conceding a goal.
They’ve also managed to create a couple of decent opportunities though Van Domselaar hasn’t been tested yet.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:43 , Mike Jones
39 mins: Caitlin Foord is the latest Arsenal player to try her hand at putting in a cross. Martina Lenzini leaps and heads this one clear as well.
If Juventus lose tonight they will be out of the competition. Their first aim is to avoid that happening.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:38 , Mike Jones
36 mins: Juventus are having their moments. Sofia Cantore in particular has had a couple of chances in quick succession. The first saw her burst free down the left channel before cutting inside and smoking a shot into the hands of Daphne van Domselaar.
The second had the forward well placed in the box and she got a glancing header on a cross from the right which bounces wide of the far post.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:35 , Mike Jones
33 mins: Katie McCade floats a cross into the penalty area from the left wing and has Alessia Russo as the target. The Arsenal forward is beaten in the air by Arianna Caruso who nods the ball clear.
Juventus seem very comfortable defending these crosses.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:33 , Mike Jones
30 mins: Arsenal have totally dominated possession so far but they are being made to work for their chances. They are using the wide areas to decent effect but it’s tough for them to create anything inside the penalty area.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:29 , Mike Jones
26 mins: Mariona Caldentey is pushed off the ball as Juventus look to burst up the pitch. Kim Little wins it back quickly for the Gunners though and they stifle the visitors attempted counter-attack.
Alessia Russo makes a run in behind but is flagged offside as the ball is playeed through to her.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:22 , Mike Jones
19 mins: Arsenal have struggled to break down teams this season especially when they’ve set up in a low block like Juventus are attempting tonight.
Kim Little is trying to orchestrate things from the middle of the pitch but it’s all a bit lacklustre at present.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:18 , Mike Jones
15 mins: Quarter if an hour played at the Emirates and nothing to separate the two teams. Neither team has had a shot on target yet with the Gunners slowly building into the match.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:14 , Mike Jones
12 mins: A long ball comes forward to Sofia Cantore who is beaten to the ball by Leah Williamson. She turns it across to Steph Catley who hoofs the ball back up the pitch to clear Arsenal’s lines.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:11 , Mike Jones
9 mins: Juventus held Arsenal to 1-0 for most of the game when the two sides met in Italy last week and they were solid enough until the closing stages were the Gunners ran riot.
Fox again skips free on the right wing but her cross is claimed by goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.
Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:07 , Mike Jones
4 mins: Emily Fox gets forward on the right wing and swings a cross into the box. Juventus defend it without too much trouble but it’s been a decent start for the hosts.
Kick off! Arsenal 0-0 Juventus
20:04 , Mike Jones
This Champions League match is underway!
Arsenal’s leading scorer
19:55 , Mike Jones
Mariona Caldentey is Arsenal’s leading scorer in the Women’s Champions League and has found the net in each of her side’s three group games.
Will the midfielder add to her tally tonight?
Arsenal vs Italy
19:50 , Mike Jones
Arsenal have won six of their last seven encounters with teams from Italy (D1), scoring 16 goals and conceding just two.
In fact the Gunners’ first meeting with Italian opponents remains their only defeat. It was a 0-2 loss to Torres Terra Sarda in the 2004/05 Women’s Cup quarter-final first leg in Sassari.
They would ultimately progress to the semi-finals with a 4-1 victory in the home second leg.
Emily Fox on Arsenal’s growing confidence
19:45 , Mike Jones
Arsenal defender Emily Fox took the pre-match press conference alongside her manager and spoke about how the team are growing in confidence.
She said: “Right now, we’re all very confident in each other and ourselves. And I think with the entire team, we feel together. Each game has been very difficult and we’ve been learning from each and really finishing our chances and learning from the hiccups at the beginning of the season.
“I think with tomorrow, like Renee was saying, it’s another game, another challenge, and I think we’re up for it. And I think with just the variety of games and opponents that we’ve played, it’s given us more confidence in the sense that we can deal with anything.”
Slegers on Arsenal’s last match versus Juventus
19:40 , Mike Jones
The Arsenal interim boss said: “It was a hard game for us to play. It was 1-0 for a long time, we scored three late goals so they got a chance early in the game. So I don’t think there’s any sign of complacency amongst us. We know how hard it was, and in the end, we got a big result. But it took us so much to get there, both physically and psychologically.
“They know us very well now, and we know them very well. I think it’s a guessing game of what they will tweak and what they will do differently. From a coaching perspective, it’s fun because you have one performance and you play against the exact same opponent and the challenge you have in front of you is to try to do better.”
Arsenal’s players arrive at the Emirates
19:35 , Mike Jones
Renee Slegers: Arsenal moving from Emirates for men’s game is a bump in the road
19:30 , Mike Jones
Interim head coach Renee Slegers believes Arsenal’s move to Meadow Park for their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich is a “bump in the road”.
Earlier this week the club announced that the game on December 18 will take place at Meadow Park after a fixture clash with the men’s team meant they were unable to play at the Emirates Stadium as had been planned.
Mikel Arteta’s team face Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on the same day and the game cannot be moved due to Palace’s schedule as well as Tottenham playing Manchester United the following night.
Renee Slegers: Arsenal moving from Emirates for men’s game is a bump in the road
A defensive battle?
19:25 , Mike Jones
Arsenal have kept five clean sheets in their last six games against Italian teams while Juventus have kept six clean sheets in their seven previous away group games.
Whose defence will come out on top tonight?
Juve are strong on the road
19:20 , Mike Jones
Juventus have lost only one of their previous seven away group matches (four wins and two draws).
But, that loss was a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal in 2022/23.
An unwanted record for Juve
19:15 , Mike Jones
Defeat for Juventus would mean successive Women’s Champions League losses for the first time since 2020/21. They slumped to a 4-0 defeat at home to Arsenal last time out.
Fortress Emirates
19:10 , Mike Jones
Arsenal have won all four home European games this season, scoring 15 goals and conceding only one.
Gunners in form
19:05 , Mike Jones
Arsenal have lost only two of their last nine Women’s Champions League matches with six wins and one draw in that run.
Alessia Russo sets Arsenal on course to derby win over Tottenham
19:00 , Mike Jones
Alessia Russo scored after 63 seconds to set Arsenal on their way to a 3-0 north London derby victory at Tottenham.
Russo’s early finish – the Gunners’ second fastest goal in Women’s Super League history – was added to by Frida Maanum and Stina Blackstenius to continue interim boss Renee Slegers’ impressive short-term reign.
Slegers, who replaced Jonas Eidevall on a temporary basis following his resignation in October, led Arsenal to a notable 4-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday before another dominant showing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Alessia Russo sets Arsenal on course to derby win over Tottenham
Gunners triumph in north London derby
18:55 , Mike Jones
Arsenal are fourth in the Women’s Super League, with 15 points from eight games after an emphatic north London derby win at the weekend.
Alessia Russo, Frida Maanum and Stina Blackstenius scored in the 3-0 triumph at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Arsenal vs Juventus line-ups
18:51 , Mike Jones
Arsenal XI: Van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Walti, Little; Mariona, Maanum, Foord; Russo
Subs: Zinsberger, Williams, Wubben-Moy, Codina Panedas, Mead, Kafaji, Hurtig, Kuhl, Blackstenius, Wienroither, Cooney-Cross, Reid
Juventus XI: Peyraud-Magnin; Lenzini, Calligaris, Cascarino; Bergamaschi, Schatzer, Bennison, Krumbiegel; Caruso; Cantore, Vangsgaard
Subs: Capelletti, Proulx, Kullberg, Lehmann, Rosucci, Girelli, Bonansea, Boattin, Bragonzi, Beccari, Thomas, Gallo
Slegers on how Juventus will approach the game
18:50 , Mike Jones
Renée Slegers, Arsenal’s interim coach, spoke about how she expects Juventus to approach tonight’s fixture. Speaking at a pre-match press conference she said: “We have three or four scenarios in our heads so we have to be prepared for all of them.
“From a coaching perspective, it’s fun because you have one performance and you play against the exact same opponent and the challenge you have in front of you is to try to do better.”
Canzi on lessons from previous defeat
18:45 , Mike Jones
The Juventus boss added: “Compared to last week, we’ll need to be more clinical when chances arise. We’ll have to stay in the game for as long as we can, despite Arsenal’s strength.
“We’ll have to have balance and pay attention defensively, then hope to take our chances when things open up.”
Juventus coah on tonight’s match
18:40 , Mike Jones
Juventus coach, Massimiliano Canzi, said: “It’s a game with a lot of meaning for us, not least that we want to show we are not who we showed ourselves to be a week ago.
“We know the importance of this game, we know our ability, and we know how to hurt our opponents.”
The last meeting between the sides
18:35 , Mike Jones
Arsenal came out on top in last week’s reverse fixture, winning 4-0 at Juventus to move into second place in Group C on six points from three matches.
Mariona Caldentey, Caitlin Foord, Stina Blackstenius and Frida Maanum were all on the scoresheet.
Chelsea ease into Women’s Champions League quarter-finals with win over Celtic
18:30 , Mike Jones
Chelsea eased into the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League with two games to spare after a 3-0 win over Celtic.
The Blues kicked off knowing just a point would secure a top-two finish in Group B and guarantee their passage to the knockout phase, after FC Twente lost to Real Madrid in the early match.
And Sonia Bompastor’s side maintained their 100 per cent record in all competitions this season, making it 11 wins out of 11 through goals from Lucy Bronze, Wieke Kaptein and a late Eve Perisset penalty.
Chelsea ease into Women’s Champions League quarter-finals with win over Celtic
Arsenal vs Juventus prediction
18:25 , Mike Jones
Arsenal ran out 4-0 winners in the reverse fixture and it should be equally as straightforward this time, as the Gunners continue their mini-resurgence under Renée Slegers.
Arsenal 4-0 Juventus.
Predicted line-ups
18:20 , Mike Jones
Arsenal XI: van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Walti, Little; Foord, Maanum, Caldentey; Russo.
Juventus XI: Peyraud Magnin; Lenzini, Calligaris, Cascarino; Bergamaschi, Caruso, Schatzer, Boattin; Cantore, Vangsgaard, Beccari.
What is the early Arsenal team news?
18:15 , Mike Jones
Renée Slegers has not confirmed any new injury worries for Arsenal after their win over Spurs, so the Gunners could go with a full-strength side in midweek, as they did when they won 4-0 in Italy.
Slegers singled out Alessia Russo, Mariona Caldentey, Kim Little and Leah Williamson for praise after the Spurs match, with all four in line to start in a game that is a must-win if the Gunners are to prevent Juventus leapfrogging them in the group.
Katie McCabe and Emily Fox will likely keep their places at full-back, with Kim Little and Lia Wälti anchoring the midfield.
In the forward positions, Caldentey may keep her place on the left after impressing at the weekend, while Caitlin Foord started on the right last week, and Frida Maanum played behind Russo.
Nevertheless, Beth Mead was preferred on the right against Juventus last time out, with Stina Blackstenius another option in attack.
Where can I watch the match?
18:10 , Mike Jones
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on DAZN, and subscribers can also stream the action online via the DAZN website.
If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When is Arsenal vs Juventus?
18:04 , Mike Jones
The match takes place on Thursday 21 November with kick-off set for 8pm GMT at the Emirates Stadium in London.
Arsenal vs Juventus
18:00 , Mike Jones
Arsenal host Juventus at the Emirates on Thursday evening in the fourth round of fixtures in the Women’s Champions League.
Renée Slegers’s side sit second in Group C with six points, though their previous victories against Valarenga and Juventus have put them in a good position to qualify if they can get another win tonight.
The Gunners enter the match off the back of a convincing 3-0 win over Spurs in the north London derby, though they’re six points adrift in the WSL, so the Champions League may already provide a more realistic chance of silverware.
The hosts won the reverse fixture 4-0 in Italy, though they’ll expect a tougher test as the Italian champions come to London looking to go level on points with the Gunners.
Good evening!
14:42 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Women’s Champions League action as Arsenal take on Juventus at the Emirates stadium.
The Gunners have won two of their three matches in the group stages so far and will move one step closer to securing qualification should they triumph tonight.
We’ll have all the latest team news, line-ups and updates throughout the evening so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 8pm.
Read the full article here
