Alessia Russo goals inspire Arsenal to magical Champions League comeback on great night against Real Madrid | OneFootball

Arsenal produce a stunning comeback to book place in Women’s Champions League semi-final against Lyon

Alessia Russo scored twice and was denied a hat-trick by the offside flag

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Renee Slegers believed Arsenal could “create something magical” against Real Madrid and this will surely go down as one of the great nights in the history of the women’s side.

Trailing 2-0 after the first leg of this Women’s Champions League quarter-final, the Gunners faced an uphill battle to make the semi-final.

The task felt even harder when, after 45 minutes at the Emirates, Slegers’ side still trailed 2-0 on aggregate.

Whatever was said at the break made all the difference, though, and in the space of 14 minutes Arsenal were suddenly leading the tie.

There had been warning signs in the first half about the threat Chloe Kelly carried as on more than one occasion she put dangerous crosses into the box.

Frustratingly for Arsenal and the winger, no one could get on the end of them and the chances went begging.

It was a different story after the break. In the opening four minutes of the second half, Kelly put two crosses into the box and both of them were turned home.

Alessia Russo was on hand to poke in the first one, while the second was headed in by Mariona Caldentey.

Suddenly, the momentum was all with Arsenal and the third goal felt inevitable.

Slegers was the one who believed a comeback was capable before kick-off, but now the 22,517 fans inside the Emirates - a record for a Women’s Champions League quarter-final in England - did, too.

They did not have to wait long for the decisive third goal and there was no surprise about the scorer.

Kelly was involved again, winning a free-kick and Katie McCabe swung the ball. Steph Catley rose to win the header and Russo - who else - was there to fire the ball home.

Real Madrid, who had spent all game penned in their own half, were deflated by that and the tie felt there for Arsenal to kill it off.

Russo did her best to do the honours. The striker went close from a McCabe corner and then she had a hat-trick ruled out after Frida Maanum was offside in the build-up.

Two more chances came her way in the final 10 minutes and, when Russo had the ball in the net again, once more the offside flag denied her.

In the end, it did not matter and at the full-time whistle she led the celebrations. A showdown with Lyon in the semi-finals awaits and, after a night like this, Arsenal will believe anything is possible.