LONDON (AP) — Arsenal underlines qualification for back-to-back titles women’s champions league They won the title by defeating English rivals Chelsea 3-1 in the first leg of the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Wolfsburg also held a 1-0 lead against record eight-time champions Lyon in a clash between the competition’s two most famous sides.
Stina Blackstenius — first goal since winning the Champions League Final against Barcelona Last season, Chloe Kelly gave Arsenal a 2-0 lead at half-time at the Emirates Stadium.
Lauren James cut Chelsea’s lead with a stunning long-range shot into the top corner, but Arsenal regained their two-goal cushion when Alessia Russo fired home from the edge of the area.
Chelsea finished higher in the league stage, finishing third compared to Arsenal in fifth, but they still have work to do in next week’s return fixture in London if they are to reach the semi-finals for the fourth consecutive season.
In the 12th Champions League match against Lyon, Reins Behrenstein scored Wolfsburg’s only goal with a deflected shot in the 14th minute, making him tied for the most appearances in the history of the competition.
Four of those games have advanced to the finals, highlighting their status.
The latest of their eight titles came in 2022, when Lyon’s Kadidiatou Diani hit the post late in the game.
the rest of the quarterfinals
The remaining two first legs of the quarter-finals will be played on Wednesday, with Real Madrid hosting Barcelona in their great rivalry with Spain, and Manchester United making their debut at this stage against Bayern Munich.
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