Arsenal get tough draw in UEFA Women’s Champions League Round 1 by Michelle
Arsenal Women got to the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League last season, but lost to Wolfsburg in the final minutes of extra-time, at a sold-out Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal’s 2022-23 season was one of injury after injury, which included 4 players sustaining ACL injuries, so the squad done exceptionally well to get this far in the Champions League last season. Arsenal Women finished 3rd in the Women’s Super League, behind winners Chelsea and runners-up Manchester United, which was enough to secure qualification for the 2023/24 edition of the competition.
The UEFA draw took place on 30th June and Arsenal have been drawn against Swedish side Linkoping FC!
🏆 The @UWCL round one draw has taken place…
We will face Linkoping FC! 🇸🇪
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) June 30, 2023
Linkoping have made it to the Champions League quarter-finals three times in their history: in 2010/11, 2014/15 and 2017/18.
3 Arsenal players have previously played for Linkoping; Frida Maanum, Stina Blackstenius and Lina Hurtig. The last time Arsenal faced Linkoping in the Champions League was 12 years ago, Arsenal legends Kim Little and Jen Beattie, who have both re-signed for our Gunners, helped secure a win to taking Arsenal to the semi-finals on that occasion.
The first round of qualifying consists of two stages of knockout games. If Arsenal make it through with a win over Linkoping on 6th September, they will then meet the winner of Paris FC v FC Kryvbas on 9th September for a place in round 2.
In round 2 Arsenal will only have one opponent between them and securing a place in the Champions League group stage. In round 2 Arsenal will have to play home and away legs. Last year, Arsenal entered the competition in round 2 qualifying, beating Ajax 3-2 on aggregate.
The other teams that will enter at this stage are Wolfsburg, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Sparta Praha, BK Häcken and Manchester United.
The knockout matches will be held in October and decide which 12 teams will join the teams that have automatically qualified; Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
We do not expect Beth Mead or Vivianne Miedema to be fully match-fit by 6th September but we should have new-signings Amanda Ilestedt and Cloe Lacasse and we expect captain Kim Little to be leading our Gunners out once again. And, of course, Arsenal are likely to make further announcements of new signings within the summer transfer window. We may even have Alessia Russo being announced imminently!?
Arsenal remain the only UK club to have won the Women’s Champions League – do you think we can get further in the tournament this year? The final perhaps? Or even another win? Jonas Eidevall most certainly has it in his sights!
COYGW!
Michelle Maxwell
Follow Michelle on Just Gooner Women on Twitter for regular updates on the Arsenal Womens Team!
Do you want to read more about the Arsenal Women’s Team? Click here….
