Arsenal, PSG move into women’s Champions League group stage
paris: Dutch international striker Vivianne Miedema scored the only goal as Arsenal reached the Women’s Champions League group stages with a 1-0 win over Ajax on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old Miedema found the net with a 20-yard strike in the 51st minute in the Netherlands to secure a 3-2 aggregate win ater the first leg of their qualifier had ended 2-2.
Arsenal, whose only Champions League title came in 2007, join already-qualified holders and eight-time winners Lyon, Barcelona, Chelsea and Wolfsburg in the group stage.
Also going through on Wednesday were Paris Saint-germain who claimed a 2-0 win at Swedish club Hacken in Gothenburg for a 4-1 aggregate win.
Lieke Martens and Kadidiatou Diani scored second-half goals for the French side who have twice been runners-up in the competition. Both Martens and Diani had also been on the scoresheet in the first leg.
Real Madrid, who made the quarter-finals last season, booked their place with a 2-1 win over Rosenborg for a 5-1 aggregate win.
Madrid fell behind on the night ater just eight minutes when Emilie Nautnes scored.
However, Caroline Weir, who scored twice against former club Manchester City in the previous round, pulled the Spaniards level on 48 minutes with Athenea del Castillo hiting the winner just ater the hour mark.
Slavia Prague became the first Czech team to reach the group stage ater edging out Valur of Iceland 1-0 ater a goalless first leg.
Vllaznia also broke new ground when they became the first Albanian club to reach the last 16 of any UEFA competition since the KF Tirana men’s team in the 1989-90 European Cup.
Gresa Berisha was the star for the Albanians with a spectacular half-volley two minutes from time ensuring a 2-1 win over Vorskla-kharkiv of Ukraine and 3-2 victory on aggregate.
Sara Bjork Gunnarsdotir scored for her fith different club in the competition as Juventus defeated Koge of Denmark 3-1.