Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid (agg: 3-2): Gunners roar back to set up Lyon semi

Arsenal conjured a three-goal flurry early in the second half to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit and win their UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.

Madrid held their two-goal advantage until half-time tonight, but it was Arsenal who led on aggregate by the hour mark as Alessia Russo scored either side of a Mariona Caldentey header, the result sending the Gunners into a semi-final against Lyon (who previously beat them in the last four in 2010/11 and are coached by former Arsenal boss Joe Montemurro).

Match in brief: Second-half burst elates Arsenal

Arsenal opted to start with January loan signing Chloe Kelly and naturally pushed from the off, Mariona going close with a header. Madrid, though, were defending with the confidence of a side that had won a league game 3-1 at Barcelona on Sunday.

Kelly was a constant threat and she so nearly worked a loose ball past Misa Rodríguez, but Madrid forced Daphne van Domselaar into some saves late in the half and went in at the break with their two-goal advantage intact. However, within a minute of the restart, Mariona embarked on a run towards the right to feed Kelly, whose cross was swept in by Russo.

Three minutes later, Kelly was the creator again as her delivery was met by a towering header from Mariona. Then, with just less than an hour gone, Arsenal took the lead in the tie as Russo hooked in after Steph Catley had headed back a Katie McCabe free-kick.

Arsenal were not letting up, with Russo determined to get her hat-trick and heading just wide before forcing a save from Misa and later a Maëlle Lakrar block. There was almost late drama at the other end as Linda Caicedo was played through, but Van Domselaar stood tall to ensure Madrid's wait to reach a first semi-final goes on.

Visa Player of the Match: Alessia Russo (Arsenal)

Alessia Russo with her awardUEFA via Getty Images

"With two goals, she produced the quality of finishes when it mattered. She showed clinical movement and touch from an early cross for the opener and her second proved the winner, her reactions keeping things alive in the second phase. She also demonstrated great pressing intensity in Arsenal's high press."
UEFA Technical Observer Group

Faye Hackwell, match reporter

Arsenal perform a mighty comeback to continue their Champions League journey, which started all the way back in the first round of qualifying. They spoke about belief and their proven ability to bounce back in the build-up to this game, and the experience of the likes of Leah Williamson, Kim Little and McCabe, coupled with the energy and creativity of Russo and Mariona in attack, produced a whole team performance tonight. Madrid will take pride from their first-leg win and resilient defending in the opening half, but they came up against an Arsenal team that pushed and pushed until they got the goals they needed.

Reaction

Renée Slegers, Arsenal coach: "I'm very happy with that performance. We had to come back from a 2-0 defeat in Madrid, and the performance from the team was very strong, physically and mentally, to do this. I'm very proud and very happy for the players.

 "We just had to find the right spaces in the final third and stay a little bit more composed and calm to create even bigger chances, and we got the details right. The players are just so good; they bring so much quality, and they kept on believing."

Alberto Toril, Madrid coach: "For us, this was an experience. We learned and we hope to be prepared for next time. It was a tough game for us; Arsenal were superior. We tried to compete but we're coming off a tough March. Congratulations to Arsenal, they deserved to go through. We played a good part of the tie, just not the second half. So, we'll learn from it for the future."

Alessia Russo, Visa Player of the Match and Arsenal forward: "We were on top in the first half, and we felt good at half-time. It was really calm. We knew we were good in the press and good on the counter, so it was just about being clinical in the final third. We got the two goals quickly, and that set the tone.

"When we went to Madrid, we were gutted with the result. But we've had belief all week that we could turn this around, as we knew that when we play at [the Arsenal Stadium], we're dominant – and we were tonight."

Kim Little, Arsenal midfielder: "I'm just proud. We played the game incredibly well. We were patient in the first half and, in the second half, we knew we needed to score three goals to win the game, and we just went for it. I think the quality was very high. We took our chances, and we could have scored more.

"I don't think much changed [in the second half]. We spoke about some details at half-time, but it was mainly just to continue with the momentum and have a bit more calmness in the box. I think we had opportunities in the first half, and we were just a bit rash. Then, in the second half, we started it without that, and we were calm and composed in front of goal."

Caroline Weir, Real Madrid midfielder: "In the first half, we were well organised; we defended well. In the second half, they really stepped up a gear, and we found that difficult, especially with conceding a couple of goals in a short space of time. It was always going to be difficult to come back from that, but we worked hard over the course of the game and last week in Madrid, but it wasn't to be tonight.

"Playing in the Champions League is very special; it's a special competition, especially for Real Madrid, as it's historic at the club. So, we want to make our own history. Unfortunately, that didn't happen tonight, but there have been lots of highlights in this campaign, and we got further than last year, which shows progress. We want to keep growing and get further next year."

Key stats

• This was only the second time a club has overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit in the quarter-finals, Arsenal themselves having achieved the feat against Torres in 2004/05 (losing 2-0 away before winning 4-1 at home).
• Arsenal are through to their eighth semi-final, level with Frankfurt and Wolfsburg and trailing only Lyon (14), their upcoming opponents in the last four.
• Arsenal had 18 efforts on goal to Madrid's four.
• The crowd of 22,517 was a record for a UEFA women's club competition quarter-final in England.

Mariona Caldentey (left) headed Arsenal level in the tieArsenal FC via Getty Images

Line-ups

Arsenal: Van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little (Blackstenius 90), Maanum (Wälti 75), Mariona; Kelly (Mead 73), Russo, Foord

Real Madrid: Misa; Sheila García, María Méndez, Lakrar, Olga Carmona (Redondo 76); Toletti, Angeldahl (Yasmim 76), Weir; Linda Caicedo, Bruun (Feller 76), Athenea del Castillo