Mariona Caldentey secured Arsenal’s spot in the Champions League quarter-finals as Group C winners with a dramatic late penalty in their 3-2 victory over Bayern Munich.
Arsenal took an early lead in the seventh minute when Glodis Perla Viggosdottir scored an own goal, but Bayern equalized just before halftime through Magdalena Eriksson. The former Chelsea captain then put Bayern ahead in the second half, only for Alessia Russo to level the score a minute later.
With just four minutes remaining, Caldentey stepped up to convert a penalty after Bayern’s Tuva Hansen was penalized for a handball. The Spaniard made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to seal the win and extend Arsenal’s unbeaten run to 11 matches in all competitions.
Arsenal captain Kim Little made her first start since November 21, and interim manager Renee Slegers made two changes for the match, with her future uncertain.
The match saw early chances from both sides, with Linda Dallmann testing Arsenal’s goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar and Bayern surviving a near-own goal before Eriksson’s equalizer in the 39th minute.
Eriksson’s second goal in the 58th minute put Bayern ahead, but Russo responded quickly, capitalizing on a Bayern goalkeeper error to equalize. With a draw enough for Bayern to top the group, Arsenal’s late penalty sealed the win and ensured their progression.
