While the Champions League returns for the men next week, the women’s European campaign gets underway this week. The new campaign will have a similar storyline for all teams involved, to try and best serial winners Olympique Lyon.
Arsenal travel to Florence for their first UEFA Women’s Champions League game in five and a half years. Given Arsenal were unseeded in the draw, they will be grateful to have avoided European heavyweights Lyon. Fiorentina, however, look a threat having finished second in Serie A last season. They will look to avoid another hammering from an English side having lost to Chelsea by 6-0 in their return leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League last year.
Having opened their season with a 2-1 win against West Ham, Arsenal have a mouth-watering clash against Manchester United on Monday. This game represented an important start to the European campaign for Joe Montemurro and Arsenal as they look to mount a serious run at the continental competition.
This tactical analysis will showcase the tactics that Fiorentina and Arsenal used in this encounter.
Lineups & Squads
Arsenal travelled to Florence making one change from their win against West Ham with Vivianne Miedema replacing centre-back Viktoria Schnaderbeck. Montemurro set up his team in a different 3-4-2-1 formation with Kim Little, Danielle van de Donk playing behind Miedema. Jill Roord and Leah Williamson would make up the double-pivot and look to create a base for the front four to play.
Fiorentina (4-3-3): Durante; Tortelli, Agard, Arnth, Philtjens; Adami, Breitner, Cordia; Thøgersen, Bonetti, de Vanna
Arsenal (3-4-2-1): Zinsberger; Maier, Beattie, McCabe; Evans, Williamson, Roord, Mead; van de Donk, Little; Miedema
