Arsenal booked their place in the last eight of the Women’s Champions League last night, with a Kelly Smith hat-trick securing a thrilling 4-3 victory over Potsdam.
With a 2-1 win at home in the first leg already in the bag, the Gunners went into the match with the upper hand, knowing that victory would not only put them through, but would also make them the first English women’s side to win a match on German soil.
And it was the visitors who started brightly, taking a 2-0 lead in the first half. But Arsenal couldn’t hold on to their advantage and the scoreline quickly levelled out at 3-3 just after an hour into the match.
A thrilling start to the second half saw those four goals come in just 12 minutes, but substitute Ellen White managed to find the back of the net on 81 minutes to book Arsenal’s place in the quarter finals.
Laura Harvey named an attacking side in her starting line up, with Smith, Gemma Davison, Kim Little, Rachel Yankey and Jordan Nobbs all stepping up.
And her tactics appeared to pay off in the first half, with Smith securing the Gunners a much-deserved lead on 27 minutes, adding her second seven minutes later.
But Bernd Shroder’s side were never going to make it easy for the visitors, with goals from Antonia Goransson and Keelin Winters levelling the scoreline before Smith completed her hat trick for Arsenal to again take the lead.
A second goal from Goransson put Potsdam back into the running, but Smith turned provider with nine minutes left to play, allowing White to claim Arsenal’s fourth and with it a place in the last eight.
Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
