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Women's Champions League - Group C
Juventus FemminileJuventus Femminile1Arsenal WomenArsenal Women1

Juventus 1-1 Arsenal: Vivianne Miedema scores to salvage point for Gunners

By Jess AndersonBBC Sport
Vivianne Miedema playing Juventus
Vivianne Miedema has scored three goals in all competitions this season

Vivianne Miedema's goal helped Arsenal to a comeback draw at Juventus in their Women's Champions League group game.

It was the Dutch forward's first goal in seven matches.

Lineth Beerensteyn had opened the scoring for Juventus with an explosive run on the counter-attack before slotting past visiting goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger.

But Miedema's 61st-minute header from Frida Maanum's corner salvaged a point for the injury-hit Gunners.

Arsenal now have seven points at the top of Group C, while Juventus are second with five and Lyon, who beat Zurich 3-0 earlier on Thursday, are third with four points.

Manchester United ended Arsenal's 14-game winning run in the WSL with their dramatic injury-time victory at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, but Jonas Eidevall's side did not seem to be lacking in confidence at the Allianz Stadium.

They dominated first-half proceedings and Stina Blackstenius twice went agonisingly close to an opener, firing over from Maanum's slotted pass before latching on to another cross from the Norway midfielder but smacking it straight at Juventus goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.

Juventus' only notable chance of the opening 45 minutes came on the stroke of half-time, but Arianna Caruso's powerful header from Barbara Bonansea's cross lacked direction.

For all Arsenal's chances, Beerensteyn's penetrating run in the 52nd minute was enough to break the deadlock and, although Miedema's leveller came just nine minutes later, Arsenal failed to find a moment of magic to claim the spoils.

Caitlin Foord twice came close, but Peyraud-Magnin denied her former club as she palmed away the first attempt and closed down the Australian forward to smother the second.

Eidevall said: "I thought we could've won tonight given the chances we created. We've come from a really tough game against United and are getting back to our way of playing against a tough team."

Gunners need Miedema to shine in Mead's absence

Despite United putting the first dent in Arsenal's record this season, the Gunners will arguably have been more disappointed to see their talismanic forward Beth Mead, who has scored five goals in all competitions this season, go off in tears at the end of that match.

The disappointment will have increased with the news Mead had suffered an ACL injury and is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The Gunners squad was notably thin in Turin, with Leah Williamson, Lina Hurtig, Kim Little and Rafaelle Souza all also absent.

Arsenal boss Eidevall said his side are in a "tough situation" with the amount of injuries, but some of his squad could return for the reverse fixture at Emirates Stadium on 7 December.

Blackstenius was energetic in the first half but lacked a cutting edge and Arsenal will hope Miedema can now propel herself into the form that has seen her become the club's all-time leading goalscorer with 132 goals.

The 26-year-old smashed two chances over the bar in the final 10 minutes, having only returned from a leave of absence in time for the game against United.

"I'm very pleased with her goal, it's always about finding the balance with freshness and having continuity in training and play," added Eidevall.

"You can see that Viv was fighting hard today with the team on the pitch and that's what we need."

Line-ups

Juventus Femminile

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 16Peyraud-Magnin
  • 71Lenzini
  • 23Salvai
  • 8Rosucci
  • 13Boattin
  • 2PedersenBooked at 48mins
  • 15Grosso
  • 11BonanseaSubstituted forCantoreat 82'minutes
  • 21CarusoSubstituted forBonfantiniat 82'minutes
  • 18BeerensteynBooked at 84minsSubstituted forDuljanat 90+5'minutes
  • 10Girelli

Substitutes

  • 1Aprile
  • 3Gama
  • 7Cernoia
  • 9Cantore
  • 12Lundorf
  • 19Zamanian
  • 22Bonfantini
  • 24Arcangeli
  • 27Schatzer
  • 32Sembrant
  • 33Duljan
  • 38Forcinella

Arsenal Women

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Zinsberger
  • 26WienroitherSubstituted forMaritzat 80'minutes
  • 3Wubben-Moy
  • 7Catley
  • 15McCabe
  • 12Maanum
  • 8NobbsSubstituted forBeattieat 65'minutes
  • 13WältiBooked at 90mins
  • 25BlacksteniusBooked at 63mins
  • 11Miedema
  • 19Foord

Substitutes

  • 5Beattie
  • 16Maritz
  • 18Marckese
  • 23Iwabuchi
  • 40Williams
  • 59Agyemang
  • 62Reid
Referee:
Iuliana Elena Demetrescu
Attendance:
8,508

Match Stats

Home TeamJuventus FemminileAway TeamArsenal Women
Possession
Home47%
Away53%
Shots
Home12
Away16
Shots on Target
Home3
Away5
Corners
Home2
Away7
Fouls
Home11
Away11

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Juventus Femminile 1, Arsenal Women 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Juventus Femminile 1, Arsenal Women 1.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Frida Maanum (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Vivianne Miedema.

  4. Substitution

    Substitution, Juventus Femminile. Evelina Duljan replaces Lineth Beerensteyn.

  5. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Lineth Beerensteyn (Juventus Femminile) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Cristiana Girelli.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Lia Wälti (Arsenal Women).

  7. Post update

    Sofia Cantore (Juventus Femminile) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  8. Booking

    Lia Wälti (Arsenal Women) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  9. Post update

    Offside, Juventus Femminile. Sofia Cantore tries a through ball, but Lineth Beerensteyn is caught offside.

  10. Post update

    Attempt missed. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Katie McCabe.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Stephanie-Elise Catley (Arsenal Women).

  12. Post update

    Sofia Cantore (Juventus Femminile) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  13. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Caitlin Foord (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lia Wälti.

  14. Post update

    Stephanie-Elise Catley (Arsenal Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Lineth Beerensteyn (Juventus Femminile).

  16. Post update

    Caitlin Foord (Arsenal Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Martina Lenzini (Juventus Femminile).

  18. Booking

    Lineth Beerensteyn (Juventus Femminile) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  19. Post update

    Katie McCabe (Arsenal Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  20. Post update

    Foul by Lineth Beerensteyn (Juventus Femminile).

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Chelsea Women3300110119
2Paris Saint-Germain Féminines31115144
3Real Madrid Femenino31112204
4Vllaznia Femra3003015-150

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1VfL Wolfsburg Ladies32107167
2Roma Femminile32106427
3St. Pölten Women310248-43
4Slavia Prague Women300304-40

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Arsenal Women32109367
2Juventus Femminile31204225
3Lyon Féminines311156-14
4Zürich Women300318-70

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Barcelona Femenino3300161159
2FC Bayern München Ladies320156-16
3Benfica Women3102312-93
4Rosengård Women300327-50
View full Women's Champions League tables

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