Leah Williamson to use memorable Arsenal defeat of Bayern Munich as fuel for Real Madrid duel
LEAH WILLIAMSON hopes Arsenal’s Champions League knockout of Bayern Munich can fuel their battle for a semi-final spot.
Her side are 2-0 down after losing their first-leg quarters game away at Real Madrid last Tuesday.
The last time Williamson’s side reached the contest’s last four was back in March 2023.
Back then they overturned a 1-0 deficit to beat Bayern 2-1 on aggregate.
And the Arsenal centre-back, 27, hopes they can repeat this feat against Real Madrid in one of their biggest games this season.
Williamson said: “The experience of overturning the quarter-final against Bayern Munich – that comes in handy for anybody that played in that game. That was a great memory.
“Anybody that was involved in that game will take confidence from that knowing that we know how to do it.
“Good things happen in football, bad things happen in football.
“And when the good things happen you keep them in your pocket and just as much as the bad but you call them when you need them.”
Arsenal’s game this evening will take place on pristine turf at the Emirates – a stark contrast to the muddy pitch they played on in Spain last week.
Heavy rain in Madrid left the turf at Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in a shabby state with players on sides getting covered in mud.
However Williamson refused to blame the conditions for the Gunners’ first-leg defeat.
She adds: “We were frustrated but more so at ourselves than anything else.
“Whether pitch, weather, whatever it is, the standards of Arsenal are higher than they were last week.”
The last time Arsenal won the Champions League was back in 2007 when they became the first English club to do so.
Lifelong Gunners supporter Williamson, who dreams of helping them win again, said: “I’m an Arsenal fan and grew up at this club so that’s the dream.”