Women's Champions League: Arsenal's mission accomplished in Germany but only half-time in tie

Arsenal were 2-0 down aft 24 minutes successful Wolfsburg but came backmost to gully 2-2

Arsenal accomplished their ngo successful Wolfsburg to support live their hopes of progressing to the Women's Champions League last - and they did truthful contempt a pugnacious week of wounded setbacks.

They were understandably shaky astatine the backmost having mislaid England defender Leah Williamson to a crushing genu wounded connected Friday, conscionable days aft skipper Kim Little was ruled retired for the season.

It added to a agelong database of wounded concerns for manager Jonas Eidevall, who has already been without apical scorers Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead this season, and guardant Caitlin Foord successful caller weeks.

Losing much cardinal players and falling down successful the Women's Super League rubric contention pursuing defeat to Manchester United connected Wednesday was not perfect mentation for a European semi-final.

But contempt Wolfsburg going 2-0 up successful 24 minutes - the 2nd courtesy of a mistake by Brazilian defender Rafaelle Souza - Arsenal recovered to guarantee the necktie was not implicit arsenic they instrumentality to London.

"We played against a squad that has been successful astir each semi-final for the past 10 years successful the Champions League and we were away," said Eidevall.

"We played Manchester United distant connected Wednesday and we don't person that galore players available. We knew [it] was going to beryllium difficult.

"Our ngo erstwhile we came present was to get a effect to instrumentality backmost to London and determine it there. We accomplished that but thing more. Nothing is done but the necktie is precise overmuch alive."

Arsenal striker Stina Blackstenius said it was "important" the Gunners stayed successful the crippled and they took inspiration from their fightback against Bayern Munich successful the quarter-final.

"It's been a pugnacious week for us, with different injury. That has made america adjacent stronger and I consciousness similar the mentality wrong the squad has been truly good," she added.

"We cognize that we person travel backmost earlier aft conceding, and that's what we did. That's mentality and I'm conscionable truthful arrogant of however the squad has been doing truthful far."

'It's each to beryllium decided successful London'

Arsenal were knocked retired by Wolfsburg successful the quarter-finals of the contention past season

It threatened to beryllium a agelong evening for Arsenal arsenic two-time champions Wolfsburg were objective with the opportunities that arose aboriginal on.

The competition's apical scorer Ewa Pajor was unmarked arsenic she was slipped into the container for the opener, earlier Souza's mistake teed up Sveindss Jonsdottir for Wolfsburg's second.

Souza made up for her mistake conscionable earlier half-time, heading successful a corner, and Blackstenius recovered Arsenal's important equaliser aboriginal successful the 2nd half.

But Eidevall remains cautious contempt location vantage successful the 2nd limb arsenic Wolfsburg person besides enjoyed occurrence successful London.

In 7 competitory trips to the city, Wolfsburg person ne'er lost. That includes past year's quarter-final gully astatine Arsenal which helped them progress.

"It's astonishing to spot the resilience, the cognition and the enactment complaint that the players have," said Eidevall.

"But it's lone half-time. We're blessed with the show and the effect but it's each up to beryllium decided successful London. We emotion playing successful beforehand of our supporters.

"I've heard we've sold 47,000 tickets. I deliberation we person a precise bully accidental of selling retired the Emirates. Together we tin marque it imaginable to erstwhile again instrumentality Arsenal to a Champions League final. That's our dream."

Wolfsburg goalscorer Jonsdottir said they needed to beryllium "calmer connected the ball" to clasp their two-goal vantage but she remains assured of reaching different final.

"We person different crippled truthful it doesn't truly matter. We're going to spell to London and triumph there," she added.

Neither broadside play earlier adjacent Monday's 2nd limb and Wolfsburg could beryllium boosted by the instrumentality of German striker Alexandra Popp, portion Arsenal anticipation to invited backmost Australian guardant Foord.