Article #6279

• Heavy rain left Real Madrid’s pitch almost unplayable
• Hosts beat Arsenal 2-0 in first leg of WCL quarter-final

The Arsenal manager, Renée Slegers, said that improving pitch conditions is “the next step for women’s football” after the state of the playing surface at the Estadio Alfredo di Stéfano drew strong criticism during Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final.

A combination of heavy rain in Madrid and a stadium unsuitable for such an occasion made for a pitch that was almost unplayable.