Lina Hurtig caps a satisfying night of Champions League progress for Arsenal

A late goal from substitute Lina Hurtig gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over Juventus at the Emirates Stadium, sealing their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Interim head coach Renee Slegers had seen her side enjoy a comfortable 4-0 win in last week’s reverse fixture in Turin.

Juventus, though, produced a solid defensive display, looking to hit on the counter-attack, but were finally undone when Hurtig – who had just headed over an empty net – stabbed the ball in with a minute left.

Bayern Munich’s 1-1 draw away to Valerenga in the other Group C fixture means Arsenal are assured of one of the two qualifying spots to the knockout stage.

The Gunners – unchanged from Saturday’s 3-0 win over London derby rivals Tottenham in the Women’s Super League – saw plenty of the ball during a low-key opening 20 minutes as Juventus set up a low block.

Arsenal finally played their way through the lines with a quick one-two between Alessia Russo and Frida Maanum on the edge of the Juventus penalty area but the Norwegian’s angled shot flew over.

Katie McCabe’s cross from the left then dropped onto the roof of the net – with Juve goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin backpedalling.

Arsenal winger Caitlin Foord claimed a penalty after going down under a challenge from Paulina Krumbiegel but the referee waved play on.

Juventus broke swiftly down the left through Arianna Caruso, who cut back into the Arsenal box and got her shot away but it was too central to trouble Gunners keeper Daphne van Domselaar.

Arsenal started to break down the Juventus defence in the second half.

Foord burst clear into the left side of the penalty area and cut the ball back across the face of goal but there was no-one arriving in the six-yard box for what would have been a tap-in.

As the hour mark approached, Arsenal continued to find some joy down the left flank.

A clever backheel from Katie McCabe put Mariona Caldentey clear on the overlap and her pass into the penalty area was put just wide by Maanum.

Ford then saw her close-range shot blocked on the line following a goalmouth scramble from a corner.

After Leah Williamson headed over from a corner, Juventus came close to breaking the deadlock when Caruso’s low effort was touched behind by van Domselaar at full stretch.

Gunners substitute Hurtig sent a late header into the side-netting from a floated diagonal pass by Williamson and then nodded over an empty net from close range following Kim Little’s delivery.

With just a minute of normal time left, the Swede – who joined Arsenal from Juve in 2022 – finally stabbed the ball in after defender Martina Lenzini failed to deal with Stina Blackstenius’ ball across the face of goal.