After a fantastic start to our UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign against Rangers, we’re now looking to continue our form in the Round 1 qualifier final.
Our clash against Norwegian side Rosenborg BK kicks off at 7.30pm at Meadow Park - with all the action live on Arsenal.com.
Our opposition
Hours before we hit six past Rangers in our semi-final, Rosenborg knocked out Atletico Madrid in dramatic fashion.
After trailing 1-0 for most of the match, a late equaliser from Rebecka Holum sent the tie to extra time. Buoyed by the comeback, Rosenborg took the lead and forced Atleti to pull of a last-minute equaliser themselves.
The ensuing penalty shootout was goalkeeper Rugile Rulyte’s moment to shine, as she pulled off two great saves to send her club through to Round 1 final.
Rosenborg BK have won the Norwegian league seven times in their history, but their last win came in 2003. The side have reached the Champions League quarter-finals twice (2001/02, 2002/03) and the semi-finals once before (2004/05).
What could be next?
Should we beat Rosenborg and win the mini-tournament, our Gunners will progress to Round 2 of the UWCL qualifiers: a knockout tie across two legs.
Paris Saint-Germain, Wolfsburg, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Juventus and Hacken will all enter the draw at this stage. The Round 2 fixtures will be decided by a draw on September 9.
At this stage, we cannot face a team from the same country, thus ruling out a tie with Manchester City.
The winning teams in Round 2 will finally progress to the group stage of the tournament, which FC Barcelona, Olympique Lyonnais, Bayern Munich and Chelsea have already qualified for.
What the managers say
Eidevall: “They beat a really strong opponent and that demands a lot of respect. I think we saw them as a team, really strong on set pieces and really well organised. You could see that they have a really good culture within the team as they were handling really adverse situations and moments against Atletico with a really good focus on what they could control.
“So we know we're gonna play against a tough opponent. That’s how the Champions League should be. It should be tough games. It should be tough challenges. And that's why we want to play in the Champions League, because we want to play against the best.“
Shroot: “We are a team that is used to having a lot of the ball and we want to have the ball a lot. But I think that in this game we have to accept that Arsenal will control a lot of the game.
“It is essential that we are well organized as we were against Atletico. At the same time, we have the quality to create problems for Arsenal when we get hold of the ball.”
Team news
Beth Mead returned to training after a week-long absence but Jonas Eidevall was less optimistic when asked about Steph Catley's return: "She’s not going to be available tomorrow."
No other injuries have been reported in the squad.
Match officials
Referee: Michalina Diakow
Assistant referees: Aleksandra Mostowska and Gordana Katušić
Fourth Official: Jelena Pejković
How to watch
The knockout match kicks off at 7.30pm (UK) at Meadow Park, with all the action live on Arsenal.com. The stream is available globally, except for Norway.
Max Jones and former Gunner Gilly Flaherty will be on commentary duties for the tie and coverage begins five minutes before kick-off.
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