Tabitha Tindell’s breakaway second-half strike saw BK Hacken beat Arsenal 1-0 in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League Qualifying Second Round tie in Gothenburg.
Arsenal wasted numerous openings on the Bravida Arena’s plastic pitch and were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when Tindell broke clear with 13 minutes to go to to beat Manuela Zinsberger with a composed finish as the hosts, second in the Swedish top flight, maintained their unbeaten home run stretching back three months.
However, Jonas Eidevall will be wondering quite how his side left his homeland without scoring after the visitors passed up numerous openings on the night as first summer signing Rosa Kafaji crashed an effort off the bar against her old club.
Hanna Wijk of Hacken is challenged by Katie McCabe of Arsenal
Meanwhile, after the break BK Hacken captain Jennifer Falk produced a word-class stop to somehow keep out Beth Mead’s point-blank header, albeit the Sweden international did not know much about it, before substitute Frida Maanum’s injury-time header also hit the crossbar.
Eidevall, though, will be confident his players will be able to finish off the job when the two sides, who faced one another in the quarter-finals of the Champions League back in 2011/12, with Arsenal running out 3-2 victors, meet again in the return leg at Meadow Park on Thursday September 26, with the winners progressing to the group stage of the competition.
What’s next?
Sunday 22nd September 11:30am
Kick off 12:30pm
Arsenal begin their Women’s Super League campaign against Man City at Emirates on Sunday, with the game live on Sky Sports Main Event (kick-off 12.30pm), before they host Hacken in the return leg of their Champions League second-round Qualifier at Meadow Park on Thursday September 26 (kick-off 7.30pm).
Man City thrash Paris FC despite missing Shaw with Visa issue
Jess Park celebrates scoring Man City’s second goal against Paris FC with team-mate Laia Aleixandri
Vivianne Miedema netted a debut goal and Jess Park scored twice as Manchester City brushed off Khadija Shaw’s unintended absence to thrash Paris FC 5-0 in their season-opening Champions League qualifier.
City’s hopes of reaching the group stage for the first time in four seasons got off to a rocky start when it emerged that Shaw had not obtained the necessary visa to travel for the first leg – reportedly due to a late application – but things went more smoothly on the field.
Miedema, a huge summer signing from rivals Arsenal, took just 36 minutes to open her account for Gareth Taylor’s side and Park added a second two minutes later.
Mary Fowler continued the scoring after half-time, Park grabbed her second just before the hour mark and Chloe Kelly stepped off the bench to render the second leg moot.
