Preview: Arsenal Women vs FC Twente Women – prediction, team news, lineups

Arsenal Women will resume their Women’s Champions League campaign with a home match against FC Twente Women on Tuesday.

The Gunners sit in 10th place with six points to their name, while the visitors are four points behind in 14th position in the league stage.

Match Preview

Arsenal have struggled to remain consistent in their Women’s Champions League title defense, having won two and lost two of their four league stage matches.

They lost to Lyon and Bayern Munich either side of a 2-0 win over Benfica in the first three matchdays, before securing a 2-1 win in their home encounter against Real Madrid before the international.

As a result, Renee Slegers heads into her penultimate league stage match with a two-point buffer in 13th place in the battle for a top 12 spot, as she sits three points behind the top four.

Arsenal will head into Tuesday’s match in a positive mood after returning from the international window with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the Women’s Super League.

Olivia Smith scored against her former club before seeing her opener canceled out by Beata Olsson, but just when Arsenal looked set to draw, Stina Blackstenius scored an 87th-minute winner to clinch her side’s fifth league win of the season.

The Gunners have now won four of their five home games in the WSL this season, although they are yet to win at home in Europe this season, having taken just one point from their opening two league stage matches at Meadow Park.

© Imago / Sports Press Photo

Twente have a lot of work to do if they are to reach the last 16, with the Dutch champions two points outside the top 12.

Having picked up just two points from their four league stage matches, Twente enters matchday five as one of five teams yet to win in the UWCL main draw this season.

After picking up an impressive point against Chelsea, Corina Dekker’s side lost 2-1 to Leuven on matchday two before playing out a 1-1 draw in their away match against Benfica.

Unfortunately for Twente, they were comfortably beaten 4-0 in their last European outing against Atletico Madrid, which leaves them with work to do in their final two league stage matches against Arsenal and Real Madrid if they want to reach the last 16.

Twente managed to bounce back in their last competitive outing against Excelsior on November 23, securing a 3-1 victory to keep them top of the Vrouwen Eredivisie.

Wednesday’s visitors are unbeaten in three consecutive away games, and they will now look to take at least a point from an English side for the second time this season.

Arsenal Women’s Champions League form:

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Arsenal Women Form (all competitions):

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FC Twente Women’s Champions League form:

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FC Twente Women Form (all competitions):

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Team News

© Imago

Arsenal remain without Manuela Zinsberger and Katie Reid, while Chloe Kelly is expected to miss a second consecutive match with a knee injury.

Anneke Borbe replaced the injured Daphne van Domselaar on Saturday, and she is now set to make her first UWCL appearance for the club.

Katie McCabe, Caitlin Foord and Blackstenius are pushing for starting places after coming off the bench to play more than half an hour against Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Twente are expected to line up with a back four consisting of Leonie Vliek, Anna Knol, Lieske Carleer and Alieke Tuin.

Jill Roord is expected to return to midfield after dropping to the bench for the championship encounter with Excelsior before the international break.

Eva Oude Elberink may have to settle for a substitute role even though she came off the bench to score twice in this 3-1 league win.

Arsenal Women possible starting XI:

Borbé; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe; Smith, Cooney-Cross, Caldentey, Foord; Blackstenius, Russo

Possible starting lineup for FC Twente Women:

Lemey; Vliek, Knol, Carleer, Tuin; Groenewegen, Roord, Van Ginkel; Hults, Proost, Ravensbergen

We say: Arsenal Women 3-0 FC Twente Women

Twente struggled in their last UWCL outing against Atletico Madrid, and their task doesn’t get any easier with an away game against the reigning European champions.

We think Arsenal will have far too much quality for the visitors and should claim comfortable winners at Meadow Park.

For data analysis of most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match, please click here.