Late Arsenal goal proves decisive: "A fantastic performance"

HB Køge Women delivered a strong and disciplined performance in their opening match of the UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase on Tuesday evening, but ultimately suffered a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal FC following a late penalty.

The Swans were just minutes away from securing a historic point in London, but despite the late setback, head coach Kristian Mørch was proud of what his players produced against the English giants.

"Of course, you are disappointed, and you wonder why it had to come so late, when we didn't really have enough time to respond at the other end. But overall, it was a fantastic performance and a game plan that was followed to the letter," said Kristian Mørch.

Growing into the game

HB Køge Women came under significant pressure from Arsenal from the opening whistle, with the visitors having to work particularly hard defensively during the first 20 minutes.

As the first half progressed, however, the Swans increasingly began to settle into the game and found more composure in possession.

"We got through the first 20 minutes, when we were under a lot of pressure and had to adjust to everything. After that, we had 25 minutes towards the end of the first half where we increasingly started to look like ourselves and play the way we wanted to."

"We created some really promising opportunities to break through. They didn't turn into clear-cut chances, but we saw much more of the ball than we had during the opening 20 minutes," the head coach explained.

After the break, HB Køge Women also looked to threaten Arsenal on the counter by introducing more pace.

"In the second half, we brought on players with a bit more pace so we could try to hurt them on the counter, and that worked well. Towards the end, we made the decision to switch to a back five because we were beginning to find it difficult to defend our penalty area. That was the decision we made."

The players adapted throughout

A major part of the challenge against Arsenal was dealing with the home side's movement and rotations. It required HB Køge Women to make adjustments throughout the game, and Mørch highlighted his players' ability both to follow the game plan and find solutions as the match developed.

"We had some difficulties dealing with their rotations in the wide areas and had to make adjustments along the way. The players dealt with it really well and developed throughout the game. They were able to follow a plan, but they were also able to adapt within it."

The strong performance came close to earning HB Køge Women their first-ever Champions League point, but Arsenal's late goal meant the Swans ultimately left London empty-handed.

Nevertheless, Mørch believes the performance provides valuable experience and added belief ahead of the remaining matches in the league phase.

"When we face Barcelona, we now have a little more belief that perhaps we can contain them better than we might have thought beforehand. At the same time, we now know that we can defend something if we find ourselves with a lead at some point."

HB Køge Women's next Champions League fixture will be at home at Køge Idrætspark against Servette FC, where the head coach expects a very different type of game.

"The Servette game will be completely different, and hopefully we will also be able to create more chances."

HB Køge Women host Servette FC at Køge Idrætspark on Wednesday, 1 October at 18:45. Tickets for the match are available at hbkogew.eventii.dk.