Arsenal cruise into Women’s Champions Cup final
Arsenal booked their place in Sunday’s final of the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup with a ruthless 6-0 semi-final victory over Moroccan outfit AS FAR, finishing the contest long before the closing stages.
Renée Slegers’ side struck four times before the interval to turn the tie into a formality, allowing the head coach to manage minutes in the second half with an eye on the looming showdown against Corinthians of Brazil.
First-half burst puts tie beyond reach
The Gunners made their intentions clear early on. Stina Blackstenius opened the scoring after eight minutes, giving Arsenal the platform to play with composure and tempo rather than desperation. Four minutes later, Frida Maanum doubled the advantage as Arsenal continued to find spaces between AS FAR’s lines.
With the match already tilting heavily in Arsenal’s favour, the lead became three at 21 minutes when Mariona Caldentey converted from the penalty spot, underlining the pressure Arsenal were able to sustain in and around the box.
Olivia Smith then added a fourth on 41 minutes to complete a blistering first-half performance, one that showcased Arsenal’s ability to mix direct running with patient combinations in the final third. By the break, the contest had effectively been settled.
Slegers rotates as Russo rounds off rout
Given the commanding scoreline, Slegers used the second half to rotate and preserve key players. Arsenal’s intensity did not drop, however, and the introductions from the bench ensured the standards remained high.
Alessia Russo, sent on as a substitute, provided the finishing touch. The England forward struck twice after the restart, scoring in the 66th minute before adding a second with 14 minutes remaining to cap a dominant display and push Arsenal’s margin to six.
The clean sheet and controlled nature of the performance will be as pleasing as the goals for Arsenal, who were able to avoid needless late drama and spread the workload across the squad.
Final next: Corinthians await
Arsenal now turn their focus to Sunday’s final against Corinthians, one of South America’s most decorated women’s sides. After dispatching AS FAR in such clinical fashion, the Gunners head into the showpiece with confidence — but also with the knowledge that the level of resistance will rise sharply against Brazilian opposition.
For now, Arsenal can reflect on a professional semi-final in which they were efficient early, relentless in execution, and smart in managing the game once the outcome was beyond doubt.
