Key events
Tom Garry
Manchester United will be without the left-back Anna Sandberg for anything between four and eight weeks, the United head coach Marc Skinner has revealed, in a major blow to the English side ahead of the second leg of their Women’s Champions League knockout play-off tie against Atletico Madrid on Thursday.
The Sweden international, who has played 11 times in Europe’s top competition for United so far this campaign, has been in excellent form but a knee injury means she would be very likely to miss the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich, if Manchester United were to progress past Atletico Madrid, whom they currently lead 3-0 from the first leg.
“There’s a little bit of a tidy up that needs to be done around her meniscus,” said Skinner, who is hoping that Sandberg will return for the last “three or four games” of the season, adding: “She will be around four to six to eight weeks, that’s the time frame we’ve been given. Best is four, middle is six. Obviously worst case is eight.
“But we’re hopeful we can get it to six [weeks]. But we won’t take any risks. She’s a young player so we’ll make sure she’s rehabbed effectively.”
Half-time: Arsenal 1-1(5-1 on agg) Leuven
It has been an interesting first half. Alessia Russo broke the second leg deadlock but Sara Pusztai levelled it. They had said a goal is what they were looking for and they have it, so Leuven are playing a lot more freely now. Arsenal, meanwhile, will be wanting to add a few more goals in the second half.
45 min: Leuven are picking and picking at Arsenal, a great pass into the box quietens Meadow Park slightly but the resulting shot is skied. The visitors looking a lot better tonight than last week.
44 min: The camera angle just cut to Arno Van den Abbeel and the rain seems to have got heavier and it is at a slant, absolutely awful conditions.
42 min: The Gunners are definitely not at their best this evening with another give away in the midfield. Leuven work it into the box but Arsenal wrestle it back, a bit of a nervous performance at Meadow Park though.
40 min: A reminder too that if any of you are wondering where Olivia Smith is, she is suspended because of accumulated yellow cards. Back to the game, Janssen concedes a free kick which the hosts take quickly. It comes to Russo in the box but her effort is blocked.
38 min: Arsenal cheaply give it away in the midfield as Reynders pounces. It’s well worked but Pusztai’s cross is weak and Van Domselaar collects.
36 min: Commentary are speaking about how frustrated Arsenal will be to have conceded that goal but being 5-1 up on aggregate, will it annoy them? Has it annoyed you Arsenal fans? Email me and let me know.
34 min: Arsenal are looking to hit right back and Kelly wins a corner. It’s McCabe who delivers the ball but it’s in open space and cleared. It falls to Holmberg just outside the box but she skies the chance.
32 min: That is thoroughly deserved for the visitors, it was a well worked goal and they have played well so far in this leg.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 (5-1 on agg) Leuven (Sara Pusztai)
It is given!
31 min: Pusztai is the one who thought she had scored, looking at it again it looks like she is onside. VAR is now checking the goal.
30 min: Leuven build once again and Bosteels puts her hand up to suggest the visitors have won a corner and they have. The delivery is good from Bosteels but it is scrambled in the box with Arsenal able to get it clear. They pop it back in and they think they have hot the back of the net but it is ruled offside.
28 min: Conijnenberg puts her head in her hands in frustration as a rapid pass comes in and she can’t get to it, chances for her keep building and it is just the final touch that is missing.
26 min: That must be crushing for Leuven. They are so keen on scoring a goal in this tie and they came so close just a few minutes ago. Russo’s goal will be a body blow, hopefully they can keep toiling away, they deserve a goal. Arsenal though have been clinical, not complacent at all.
Russo takes a strike and Seynhaeve gets a finger to it but it beats the keeper.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0(5-0 on agg) Leuven (Alessia Russo)
Surely that is the tie.
22 min: It is end-to-end right now as Arsenal get a chance immediately after Leuven’s. Maanum has a shot but Seynehaeve makes a save.
20 min: Arsenal are having a really long build-up in their latest passage of possession but they are yet to puncture the Leuven defence. They then try to put a pass in but the visitors intercept and make a break. Conijnenberg finds herself in a one-on-one with Van Domselaar but the keeper does well to save.
18 min: A reminder that whoever comes out the winner this evening, which is likely to be Arsenal, they will play Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
17 min: Leuven had a promising platform there but they just rushed their execution. Conijnenberg made a break but forced a pass forward and Foord was able to intercept. They will have to take their chances when they get them if they are to claw their way back into this tie.
15 min: Gosh that was stressful but I am back up and running now and it seems like they have wiped the camera lens too so that is good. Arsenal are on the attack again, it feels like I will be writing that a lot this evening, but Leuven read a pass into the box well and it is cleared.
13 min: Leuven haven’t had much attacking ball yet but they have been much sharper in defence than they were last week. Just as I type that Mertens gets a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. The resulting free kick I did not see because my wifi decided to drop out so thank goodness for hot spotting! But we are still 0-0 in this leg.
10 min: Van Domselaar is almost closed down but she manages to clear and set Arsenal on another attack. They work it through the team and it eventually comes in but Russo can’t quite get to it.
8 min: There hasn’t been much match action to bring you so far but now Foord gets in a good spot, she and Russo have a one-two but the Australian international’s eventual shot is wide.
7 min: If you are also watching on Disney + you may be hearing a weird buzzing, it’s their end so the picture and the sound is not amazing. I kept looking around my lounge thinking a bee had got in! The buzz at Meadow Park is in full voice with Arsenal supporters singing songs since kick-off.
5 min: Sorry to continue to go on about the weather but the pitch is awful in a bad way. Boreham Wood played a game against Truro City recently and the surface is horrible. Back to match action and both teams are still settling into this one.
3 min: I also cannot tell you how frustrating it is watching through a drenched camera lens too. I will describe the smudged action as best as I can with Arsenal having the lions share of possession so far.
2 min: There is still quite a healthy crowd at Meadow Park despite it being soaking wet, that will only help the hosts.
Kick-off: Arsenal 0-0 (4-0 on agg) Leuven
Here we go. Some of these camera angles are smudged because of how much it is raining out there.
A cool piece to read before this game gets underway:
There is going to be a revival of el Clasico in the quarter-finals as Real Madrid secured their spot in the last eight where they will play Barcelona. Real beat Paris FC 5-2 on aggregate to go through.
I would love to hear from you. Anything from how you think this tie will shake out, what you might be giving up for Lent or, on the opposite end of the scale, what you are treating yourself to in terms of snacks while watching the game. Email me and let me know.
Catch up on our Women’s Football Weekly podcast here:
Leuven are competing in the Women’s Champions League for the first time in the 2025/26 season and so if they do go out at this stage they can have their heads held high but they do still have a (slim) chance of going through.
Leuven coach Arno van den Abbeel sounds already resigned to the face his club are out, saying: “[The players] have to be very proud of the road we took. Let’s enjoy our game. I am very happy we did something unique this year. We knew it would be a difficult assignment against Arsenal and, in the end, they proved to be on another level. Still, I am proud of my group. As a coach, you cannot feel otherwise when you reflect on what we have achieved in this Women’s Champions League campaign. It will not be easy to lift ourselves for the match in London, but we will give everything one last time and aim to leave the competition with our heads held high.”
Arsenal manager Renée Slegers has spoken about the importance of her team not being complacent this evening. She said: “Of course we know the scenario and that is important for us to know going into the game and what we want to achieve and how we want to do it. But the most important thing is that we keep our standards really, really high, regardless of the competition or scenario. And that’s important in the moment if we do all those humble actions on the pitch, because we know that sets the standard for us and gives us a good opportunity to be successful.”
If you want to catch up on the action from last week, you can read our report below:
Here is Leuven’s team. Linde Veefkind returns after her suspension saw her miss out in the first leg.
Leuven: Seynhaeve, Janssen, Eveaerts, Mertens, Bosteels, Pusztai, Conijnengerg, Reynders, Hermans, Veefkind, Biesmans.
Bench: Lammertijn, Rispens, Nagy, Van Besauw, De Ceuster, Kuijpers, Heremans, Neyrinck, Ruymen, Dekker, Van Holderbeke
The team news is in. Arsenal will be captained by Lotte Wubben-Moy this evening, while Alessia Russo starts despite playing a lot of football this season.
Arsenal: Van Domselaar, Holmberg, Wubben-Moy, Codina, McCabe, Pelova, Caldentey, Maanum, Kelly, Foord, Russo.
Bench: Votikova, Borbe, Fox, Williamson, Catley, Little, Hinds, Harwood.
I am just tracking down Leuven’s news and once I have it I’ll bring it to you.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the second leg of Arsenal and Leuven Women’s Champions League play-off. The first leg was played in Belgium with the Gunners coming out 4-0 winners and so it is quite the scoreline Leuven need to overturn.
Not only will they have to score at least four goals to send the tie to extra time, Leuven will have to do so at the defending champions’ home as this game is in London.
The weather may also be a factor with it torrential in England, hopefully the pitch has been protected enough for supporters to enjoy a good game this evening.
The team news will drop soon and I will also take you through what has been said in the build-up to this game shortly. Stay tuned for updates before kick-off at 8pm GMT.
