Arsenal women on verge of Champions League exit after frustrating loss to Hacken

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Arsenal slipped to a frustrating 1-0 defeat at Hacken in their Champions League second round match.

Following a cagey start, the Gunners had two notable first-half chances through former Hacken forward Rosa Kafaji, including a great strike which rattled the crossbar.

They continued to be thwarted by some solid defending after the break, but Hacken took their chance in the 77th minute when Tabitha Tindell fired them ahead.

Victory means the Swedish side take a slender advantage into the second leg at Meadow Park next week.

Arsenal grew into the game with some neat moves around the box and Jennifer Falk made her first save of the evening when she caught Alessia Russo’s looping header from a corner.

Russo threatened again moments later after making a smart turn from Kyra Cooney-Cross’s pass through the middle but she could only shoot just wide of the post. The Gunners came close again when Kafaji fired over the bar.

The hosts then scrambled the ball away in the area when Mariona Caldentey was played through the centre and Kafaji had another great chance when a cross from the right bobbled through to her on the edge of the box, but the forward was dispossessed.

Hacken threatened on the break when Clarissa Larisey’s heavy touch was saved by Manuela Zinsberger and the same player had a shot blocked minutes later.

Arsenal‘s best chance of the half came in the 33rd minute after a mistake at the back allowed an unmarked Kafaji to break through, but her shot smashed off the crossbar before being hastily cleared.

Hacken conceded an indirect free-kick early in the second half, but the Gunners were unable to bundle Beth Mead’s low cross into the net.

They continued to be frustrated when a cross came into an unmarked Mead in the six-yard area but her header smashed off Falk’s face at point-blank range and Russo then had a header easily taken by the goalkeeper.

The hosts had another good chance in the 65th minute when a brilliant pass from Johanna Fossdalsa allowed Larisey to burst through the Arsenal back line, but she blasted her shot into the side-netting.

Hacken found the breakthrough in the 77th minute after Anna Anvegard’s superb cross-field pass found Tindell on the right flank and she charged forward before coolly slotting the ball past Zinsberger and into the bottom corner.

Arsenal continued to press in the final stages and came incredibly close in stoppage time when Falk tipped Frida Maanum’s powerful low effort wide before the Norway international had a header bounce off the bar in the final seconds.