Asisat Oshoala scored and provided two assists as European champions, Barcelona Femeni, defeated Arsenal WFC 4-1 in the first ever group stage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Barcelona were completely dominant in the first half and were rewarded with the first goal on 31 minutes when Asisat Oshoala’s terrific shot was punched away by Zinsberger in the Arsenal goal, but Mariona Caldentay was there to knock the rebound into the goal.
Oshoala flew down the Barca left wing in the 42nd minute and centred the ball for Barcelona captain, Alexia Putellas to slot into the Arsenal goal and give Barca a 2-0 lead which they took into the break.
Barca scored again, barely a few minutes after the restart as Mariona Caldentay, from midfield in Barcelona’s half, saw Oshoala’s run and played a beautiful long pass to her. Oshoala used her pace and power to beat the defenders and was one on one with the keeper before burying the ball in the goal. She looked like she was about to start celebrating, then she remembered that it was Arsenal, her former club, so she stopped.
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There followed a string of changes and former World Player of the Year, Lieke Martens replaced Asisat Oshoala, while Arsenal star, Vivianne Miedema, who had been starved of service all night, was also replaced.
Barcelona then took their foot off the pedal and uncharacteristically gave the ball away deep in the second half. This provided the opportunity for Arsenal to pull one back. Tobin Heath powered her freekick into the box from the edge of the Arsenal area and Maanum was there to guide it into the Barca goal. It was 3-1 in the 71st minute.
However, Barca was not done scoring and Lieke Martens put the icing on the cake with a typically beautiful goal in the 84th minute. Martens has often been called the “Female Messi” and that was a Messi-like goal.
Alexia Putellas missed a penalty late in the game, but Barca’s victory was already certain by then.
This is the first time ever that the women’s Champions League is having a group stage. It used to be a straight knock-out competition.
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