On Wednesday, October 16, Arsenal will host Vålerenga in the second round of the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage. The match is set to kick off at 21:00 Central European Time. The analysts at Sportsmacro have prepared a preview and betting tips for this exciting clash.
Arsenal
Arsenal finished third in the Women’s Super League last season but have struggled to find their form at the start of the current campaign. In their first four league matches, the team has only earned five points: a 1-0 win over Leicester, a 2-2 draw with Manchester City, a 0-0 stalemate against Everton, and a 2-1 loss to Chelsea.
In the Champions League qualifiers, Arsenal comfortably defeated Rangers, Rosenborg, and Häcken. However, their group stage campaign got off to a disappointing start with a heavy 5-2 loss to Bayern Munich. This poor performance led to the dismissal of head coach Jonas Eidevall just one day before the match against Vålerenga.
Vålerenga
Vålerenga are the reigning champions of Norway, having narrowly edged out Rosenborg by just one point last season. This year, they are well on track to reclaim the Norwegian title, currently leading Brann by 11 points with four rounds remaining. One more victory would secure their domestic crown.
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In the Champions League, Vålerenga successfully overcame Romania’s Farul and Belgium’s Anderlecht in qualifying. In their opening group stage match, they put up a strong fight against Juventus, losing only 1-0 after conceding in the 29th minute.
Key Facts about the match
- Vålerenga are participating in the Champions League group stage for the first time.
- Meanwhile, Arsenal have failed to win their last three matches.
Probable Lineups
- Arsenal: Van Domselaar; Foord, Williamson, Codina, McCabe; Walti, Cooney-Cross, Caldentey, Maanum, Ford; Russo
- Vålerenga: Enblom; Horte, Thorsnes, Olsen; Thomsen, Brekken, Vikus, Heidarsdottir; Godo, Tvedten, Saevik
Head-to-Head (H2H)
This will be the first-ever meeting between these two teams.
Arsenal vs Vålerenga Prediction
Arsenal are the clear favorites in this matchup. Expect a high-scoring game, and my prediction is that there will be over 2.5 goals in total.
