Key occasions
Simply three modifications from the WSL win over Brighton for Arsenal, with each full-backs changed – Noëlle Maritz changing Laura Wienrother, Steph Catley in for Katie McCabe. Lina Hurtig, who signed this summer season from Juventus, makes her first begin rather than Caitlin Foord.
Not like Arsenal’s multi-national lineup, Ajax’s squad is comprised solely from Dutch gamers. Rising stars Victoria Pelova and Romée Leuchter could cause the hosts issues, whereas the captain, Sherida Spitse, can also be the skipper for her nationwide group.
Staff information
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Zinsberger; Maritz, Williamson, Rafaelle, Catley; Wälti, Little (c); Mead, Miedema, Hurtig; Blackstenius.
Subs: Marckese, Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Nobbs, Maanum, McCabe, Foord, Wienroither, Agyemany, Earl, Reid.
Ajax (4-3-3): Kop; Van der Most, Kardinaal, Doorn, Verhoeve; Noordam, Spitse (c), Pelova; Grant, Leuchter, Weerden.
Subs: Bussman, Van der Wal, Munsterman, Tromp, Kruize, Keijzer, Hoekstra, Bakker, Van Gool, Sabajo.
Preamble
After their routine opening WSL win over Brighton was made to look far much less routine by Manchester Metropolis and Chelsea’s subsequent slip-ups, Arsenal have the prospect to keep up their sturdy begin to the season by claiming a spot within the Champions League group phases.
Ending second to Chelsea within the league final season means Jonas Eidevall’s aspect averted the difficult spherical of mini-knockouts that put paid to Manchester Metropolis’s hopes. As an alternative, they start within the remaining qualifying spherical, a two-legged playoff with the Dutch runners-up, Ajax, who overcame Eintracht Frankfurt to get right here.
An rising reasonably than established European pressure within the girls’s sport, Ajax’s deepest run on this event got here in 2018-19, once they misplaced 13-0 on combination to Lyon within the final 16. Arsenal will likely be very heat favourites to progress however can not afford to underestimate a aspect with loads of younger attacking expertise.
With the North London derby on Saturday, a return leg in Amsterdam subsequent week and new signings to mattress in, Eidevall has a number of difficult choice calls to make to maintain his group recent whereas avoiding a dreaded early European exit. Kick-off is at 7.30pm.
