A goal in each half from Linda Caicedo and Athenea del Castillo gave Real Madrid a valuable 2-0 win over Arsenal at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano in their women’s Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.
The English side made the early running but were hit on the counter when Madrid made their first chance of the match in the 22nd minute.
Real’s Sandie Toletti intercepted an Arsenal pass in her own half and picked out former Manchester United striker Signe Bruun.
Her pass found Colombian international Caicedo who held off the challenge of USA defender Emily Fox before surging into the box and finding the bottom left of goal with a neat finish.
Beth Mead went close to levelling just before half-time but slid her shot just wide of Misa Rodriguez’s right-hand post.
Arsenal, in a joint-record 16th quarter-final and looking to reach an eighth semi-final, pressed in the second half for an equaliser, forcing Misa into a series of saves but the Gunners were again hit on the counter eight minutes from time.
This time Scottish midfielder Caroline Weir, playing against her old club fed substitute Athenea down the left channel.
Chasing to the edge of the Arsenal box, she stepped inside and drilled a drive towards the left post Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger could only palm into the corner of the net.
