Arsenal fight back in Champions League semi-final

Arsenal came from two goals down to draw with Wolfsburg in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League semi-final in Germany.

A poor first half by the Gunners was almost punished as Wolfsburg took a deserved 2-0 lead after just 24 minutes, helped by a handful of mistakes from the visiting defence.

The competition’s top scorer Ewa Pajor netted her eighth goal in the Champions League this season when her run into the box was untracked and she coolly slotted it past goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger.

Rafaelle Souza’s terrible error then gifted Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir a goal from close range for Wolfsburg’s second but the Arsenal defender made amends with a towering header on the stroke of half-time.

That goal kept Arsenal in the game and they improved in the second half, reducing Wolfsburg to fewer chances and posing a greater threat at the other end.

It paid off when Blackstenius was teed up by Victoria Pelova and it means Arsenal return to Emirates Stadium for the second leg on Monday, 1 May still in with a chance of reaching the final.

But Jonas Eidevall’s injury-hit side will need to improve as they looked disjointed defensively and were far from their flowing best, displayed in the superb quarter-final victory over Bayern Munich.

The Gunners were dealt heavy blows this week when key players Kim Little and Leah Williamson were ruled out with serious injuries and it showed in Germany – but Arsenal’s resilience was fully on display.

Gruelling test but Arsenal’s hopes remain

Arsenal expected a gruelling test against two-time champions Wolfsburg and they were given one.

The German hosts dominated the first half, taking advantage of a weakened Arsenal defence who did not look comfortable with a back three.

Jonsdottir made her presence felt early on when Zinsberger was forced to rush off her line to stop her getting on the end of a throughball.

But the 21-year-old Icelandic forward was allowed to chest the ball down after 19 minutes and slip it through to an unmarked Pajor to give Wolfsburg an early lead.

Arsenal did not settle and the usually assured Brazilian Souza then asked too much of team-mate Jen Beattie when she passed it straight to Jonsdottir inside her own box to make it 2-0.

It was looking gloomy for the Gunners until Souza’s header gave them a way back in and Blackstenius, who had made runs in behind all match, was eventually rewarded for her endeavour.

Wolfsburg will be frustrated they could not capitalise on a flurry of late chances – former Arsenal midfielder Jill Roord came closest when she dragged it inches wide of the post.

But Arsenal, who picked up their first trophy in four years earlier this year when they beat Chelsea in the League Cup final, still have hopes of adding a second in this competition with the tie in the balance.

They used a raucous home crowd to their advantage in the quarter-final victory over Bayern and with more than 46,000 tickets already sold for the return leg, they will feel their chances remain fairly strong.