Impetus’ Johnathan Stack heard from Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall ahead of today’s Champions League Qualifying Round 2nd Leg tie in Amsterdam against Ajax (28/9/22).
Above: Jonas Eidevall speaking to the press. The Gunners’ head coach is looking to secure his team’s place in the group stage tonight. Photo: Arsenal WFC.
Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall will be looking for improvements ahead of his side’s second leg tie in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women’s Champions League against Ajax later this evening.
The first leg at Meadow Park last week ended in a frustrating 2-2 draw for the Gunners, that was despite twice taking the lead, meaning only a victory will secure their place in the group stage of the competition.
A win for Arsenal will see them join fellow Women’s Super League side, Chelsea, as the only English sides in the competition after Manchester City were knocked out by Real Madrid in the first qualifying round.
Speaking ahead of the crucial clash in the Netherlands, Eidevall spoke about his team’s ambition. “Of course, we want to play in the group stage of the Champions League. We want to go as far as possible. This is the game we need to win in order to get there so of course, it’s very important.”
Eidevall also spoke about the threat posed by his side’s opponents: “I thought they played with a lot of confidence when we played them last week, and I’m under no illusion that this game will be anything else. Like, it will be a hard game. We will need to be very good.
“Away games in Europe are tough, especially when we’re playing against a good team like Ajax, so, we will need to be good in all aspects of the game. We will need to defend well; we will need to attack well. We need to be good at set pieces and good in transition. So, for us, it’s up to us to be the best that we possibly can be, and if we can be that I believe we can go through. But it’s up to us to reach that level.”
Arsenal will be hoping to at least equal last season’s run when they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Wolfsburg.
Ajax host Arsenal at 6pm UK time today.
ARSENAL TEAM: Zinsberger, Weinroither, Williamson, Raffaele, Catle, Little, Walti, Miedema, McCabe, Blackstenius, Foord. Substitutes: Marckeze, Williams, Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Maritz, Maanum, Nobbs, Iwabuchi, Mead, Hurtig.
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