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41 min: Maanum and Weir take turns to throw themselves into robust challenges. For a brief second, there\u2019s an edge to the game. Then Caldentey skittles D\u00e4britz out on the right. Another free kick in a dangerous position for Real, this time to be sent in from the other side.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 39 min: Fox wins Arsenal\u2019s first corner on the right-hand side. Russo overhits it and soon enough play is back on the halfway line.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 38 min: Yasmim slips a gorgeous ball down the inside-left channel to release Feller on goal. Feller makes it all the way to the box, opens her body, shoots \u2026 and slaps a weak effort straight at Van Domselaar. Easy for the keeper, then the flag goes up for offside. What a defence-splitting pass, though.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.41 EST<\/p>\n 36 min: Now Athenea nicks the ball off Russo, who shoves her over. A free kick in a dangerous position wide left. Navarro curls it into a busy mixer, but Wubben-Moy clears the danger. Real beginning to show in attack again, after a mid-half slump.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 34 min: Athenea tries again down the inside left, but once again Fox isn\u2019t in the mood to be dribbled past. She wins the duel and Arsenal clear their lines. This is shaping up to be a good personal battle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 32 min: The corner\u2019s a non-event. Russo tries to launch a counter, spraying a long ball down the left, intended for Caldentey, but that move peters out. Arsenal come again, though, down the right this time. Smith jigs into the box and goes over. There are muted cries for a penalty, but more from the crowd than the Arsenal players. To be fair, she just ran slap-bang into D\u00e4britz, who was entitled to stand her ground.<\/p>\n Arsenal\u2019s Olivia Smith goes to ground after a challenge from Real Madrid’s Sara Dabritz, but gets no dice from the referee. Photograph: Paul Childs\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.42 EST<\/p>\n 31 min: Athenea dribbles into the Arsenal box down the inside-left channel. Fox does well to stick to her and block the eventual cross-cum-shot out for a corner. It\u2019s Real\u2019s first of the evening.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30 min: Kelly drops the shoulder to get past Navarro on the left, then swings long. Too long. Maanum was free in the middle, six yards out. Goal kick.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 28 min: \u2026 and it\u2019s easily claimed by Rodr\u00edguez, who earns a whack for her bravery. She\u2019s fine to continue, though.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 27 min: Russo wins a corner down the left. Arsenal\u2019s best chance so far came from one of these. Kelly to swing it in \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 26 min: This is better from Arsenal. Kelly is released into space down the right by Maanum\u2019s cute reverse pass. Kelly curls low towards the far stick, where Russo connects. Rodriguez parries out for a corner, but there\u2019ll be no set piece, because the flag pops up for offside.<\/p>\n Real Madrid’s keeper Misa Rodriguez makes a save from a shot by Arsenal’s Alessia Russo. Photograph: Paul Childs\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.38 EST<\/p>\n 24 min: The crowd have gone a bit quiet. The lack of serious goalmouth action, perhaps. Or maybe everyone\u2019s lips are frozen together. Or the nippy sweeties are kicking in.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 22 min: Fox probes down the right and lays the ball back for Russo, who loops a cross in for Kelly, six yards out. But she can\u2019t control, Maanum isn\u2019t able to latch onto the loose ball, and Rodriguez clams. Half a chance there.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 21 min: Kelly whips a low cross in from the right. Russo and Maanum are lurking, waiting to slam home, but M\u00e9ndez reads the danger, intercepts and clears. For all the attacking intent, neither goalkeeper has had a save to make.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 19 min: The game slows for the first time, and gets scrappy. Athenea tries to get something going with a neat spin into space in the centre circle, but there\u2019s nobody up with play and she\u2019s forced to turn tail.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 17 min: Kelly drives in from the right and attempts a one-two with Russo on the edge of the D. It doesn\u2019t quite come off, but for a second there, the centre of the Real defence threatened to open up for Arsenal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 15 min: The crowd at Meadow Park are still giving it plenty. That they\u2019re still there at all is to be commended. It is beyond cold. Hip-flask-and-nippy-sweetie weather.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 13 min: Caldentey tries to release Maanum down the middle, but the pass is just behind her team-mate, and dribbles through to Rodriguez.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 11 min: Russo dribbles down the left and checks back. She lays off to Smith, who opens her body and looks to send a power-curler into the top-right corner from the left-hand edge of the D. It\u2019s always flying high and wide, but was a decent enough strike nonetheless. And full marks for ambition, because if that planted into the postage stamp, it would have been quite the goal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.13 EST<\/p>\n 10 min: \u2026 so both teams have shown promise in attack. A nice open start to the game.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8 min: Caicedo dribbles in from the left and lays off to Weir, who takes another shot from the edge of the Arsenal box. The ball clips Wubben-Moy on the arm, and the two Real players scream for a penalty, but they\u2019re not getting one. Wubben-Moy\u2019s arm was by her side, and there wasn\u2019t much distance between the players either. We move on.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 7 min: Arsenal are beginning to impose themselves after that slow start. McCabe crosses from the left. Cleared. Russo feeds Kelly down the right. Another cross. Another clearance. The Real defence just about holding firm.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 5 min: Smith wins the first corner of the game for Arsenal. Kelly swings it in from the left. Maanum rises highest, six yards out \u2026 and should really score, but sends her downwards header wide right. A perfectly timed jump, the header not so much. Arsenal should be leading. A big let-off for Real.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.13 EST<\/p>\n 3 min: \u2026 so having said that, Kelly advances down the right and crosses. It\u2019s a slight mishit, and nearly loops over Rodr\u00edguez\u2019s head and into the top left! But the Real keeper adjusts to the situation quickly, backpedaling and plucking the ball from the sky, just under her crossbar.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2 min: Arsenal haven\u2019t really had a sniff yet. Real are pressing hard and keeping the hosts in their own half. \u201cThere is chatter among the Arsenalati as to how soon Kyra Cooney-Cross will displace Kim Little,\u201d begins Charles Antaki. \u201cThe latter is no youngster, though retiring from international football has kept her going for a while yet. But it\u2019s stating the obvious that Arsenal have missed her composure and problem-solving in midfield these last games while she\u2019s been injured. Cooney-Cross is always tidy and firm in her passing, but doesn\u2019t seem to be so much of a schemer as Little, and inevitably Arsenal have certainly suffered from a lack of guile recently. Some smartness needed tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.04 EST<\/p>\n 1 min: Real, in blue shirts, are on the front foot immediately. Within the first 15 seconds, Weir has a whack from the edge of the D but it\u2019s blocked. Onwards and upwards for Arsenal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Captains Steph Catley and Misa Rodr\u00edguez exchange pennants \u2026 then Real Madrid get the ball rolling. A decent atmosphere at Meadow Park in Borehamwood, given the arctic temperatures this evening.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a close up of the pennant that Steph Catley presented to Misa Rodr\u00edguez. Photograph: Harry Murphy\/Uefa\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.08 EST<\/p>\n No word from Arsenal boss Ren\u00e9e Slegers. She may have more important things on her mind than chatting to journalists and broadcasters, given Arsenal\u2019s form. On Disney Plus, Fara Williams points out that her record this season isn\u2019t that dissimilar to the one that got her predecessor Jonas Eidevall canned last season, with the obvious caveat of the credit in the bank accrued by her WCL win. Anyway, the players are out, and we\u2019ll be off in a minute.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Real Madrid coach Pau Quesada speaks to Disney Plus. \u201cA very attractive fixture \u2026 we have similar identities as teams \u2026 this is one of the most attractive fixtures in Europe \u2026 Arsenal are still a very good team [despite their early-season form] \u2026 they will create chances \u2026 they will be up there in the WSL and Women\u2019s Champions League \u2026 having said that we hope to capitalise on any mistakes \u2026 we weren\u2019t clinical enough [against Barcelona] so we need to improve that, especially against the best teams in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Beth Mead might not be starting tonight. But she\u2019s leading the line in the campaign to tackle climate change. Here\u2019s her piece from today\u2019s Guardian, a vivid picture of how global warming is already impacting on football around the world.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Arsenal have made three changes to their starting XI in the wake of that goalless draw with Spurs. Chloe Kelly, Frida Maanum and Olivia Smith replace Beth Mead, Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius, all of whom drop to the bench.<\/p>\n Caroline Weir of Scotland starts in the Real Madrid midfield. Filippa Angeldahl, once of Manchester City, lines up alongside her.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>The teams<\/p>\n Arsenal: van Domselaar, Fox, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe, Cooney-Cross, Maanum, Caldentey, Kelly, Russo, Smith. Real Madrid: Misa, Navarro, Mendez, Lakrar, Yasmim, Angeldal, Dabritz, del Castillo, Weir, Caicedo, Feller. Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Arsenal\u2019s defence of the Champions League hasn\u2019t been going to plan. Ren\u00e9e Slegers\u2019s side have lost two out of their three matches so far in the league phase: a 2-1 home reverse to Lyon in matchday one<\/a>, followed by a staggering collapse at Bayern Munich in matchday three<\/a> last week. Those losses sandwich a win at Benfica<\/a> that\u2019s kept the show on the road, and with positions 5 to 12 securing progression to the play-offs, there\u2019s no need to be hammering away on panic buttons just yet. But a top-four place and its concomitant guarantee of a quarter-final berth may soon become a pipe dream if Arsenal don\u2019t get a wriggle on. They could do with a big result tonight.<\/p>\n They may be secretly pleased to see Real Madrid roll into town. Arsenal\u2019s glorious Alessia Russo-inspired comeback in the second leg of last season\u2019s quarter-final<\/a> was perhaps the signature moment of their run to glory, and that 3-0 win will surely give them great belief going into this game. On the other hand, they did lose the first leg 2-0<\/a>, getting themselves into enough trouble where an all-timer of a comeback was required. So it\u2019s swings and roundabouts, and nobody will be taking too much for granted.<\/p>\n Especially as neither team are in top form. Arsenal, off the pace in the WSL too, followed defeat in Munich with a disappointing goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur<\/a>, while Real dropped their first Champions League points last week at home to Paris FC before getting thrashed 4-0 in Liga F at the weekend by Barcelona. Something\u2019s got to give, but good luck predicting exactly what. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It\u2019s on!<\/p>\n
Subs: Borbe, Liddiard, Codina, Mead, Foord, Pelova, Nighswonger, Hinds, Blackstenius, Harwood.<\/p>\n
Subs: Lopez, Tellez, Galvez, Redondo, Garcia, Bennison, Holmgaard, Andersson, Keukelaar, Dorado, Cristobal, Santiago.<\/p>\n