Barça Women 4-1 Arsenal: Triumphant start to the Champions League

A great start at the Estadi Johan Cruyff for Barça in the defence of the Women's Champions League title as Jonatan Giráldez's team pulled off a 4-1 win over Arsenal in their first fixture of this season's new group stage in the competition. 

Mariona opens the scoring

Before the game Alexia, Paños, Paredes and Jenni Hermoso received their individual UEFA awards for their exploits last season before thoughts turned rapidly to the 2021/22 campaign. Graham Hansen, Oshoala and Torrejón had chances before finally Mariona put Barça ahead just after the half hour mark taking advantage of a rebound in the penalty area. 

The blaugranes dominated and just before the break Alexia added a second after some excellent work by Oshoala. 

Second half more of the same

Oshoala, not content with playing a part in both first half goals, added a third just three minutes after the restart. Arsenal were 3-0 down but during their best spell of the game Maanum pulled one back after 74 minutes. Nevertheless, the scoring was not over and substitute Leike Martens rounded off a great win on 84 minutes with a fourth for the blaugranes. There was still time left for Alexia to miss a penalty in injury time, Arsenal keeper Zinsberger making the save. 

The victory gets the blaugranes off to the best possible start in defence of their crown in the group stage of this season's competition. 

MATCH STATS 

Barça, 4
Arsenal 1

Barça: Paños, Marta, Paredes, Mapi León, Crnogorcevic (Rolfö, min. 76) Aitana, Patri, Alexia; Graham, Oshoala (Martens, min. 71) and Mariona (Bruna, min. 83)

Arsenal: Zinsberger, Catley, Beattie, Williamson, Maritz, McCabe (Heath, min. 56), Walti (Noobs, min. 71), Maanum, Little (Iwabuchi, min. 79); Mead (Parris, min. 56) and Miedema (min. Foord, 56).

Goals: 1-0, Mariona (min. 31); 2-0, Alexia (min. 42); 3-0, Oshoala (min. 48); 3-1, Maanum (mi. 74); 4-1, Martens (min. 84)