The standard of the surface for a marquee women’s football fixture is under scrutiny for a second time in a matter of days, with Ian Wright branding the pitch for Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League defeat as a “disgrace”.
The visitors conceded a 2-0 first-leg deficit as Real Madrid made a strong start to their quarter-final ahead of the second half of the tie at the Emirates Stadium next week.
Linda Caicedo and Athenea struck for the hosts at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, but both sides struggled mightily to find their flow on a sodden surface not aiding fluent football.
Passing moves were relatively few and far between as heavy rain continued to fall in the Spanish capital, undermining what threatened to become a highly engaging encounter.
The pitch at Derby’s Pride Park had been heavily criticised after Chelsea beat Manchester City in Saturday’s League Cup final, but former Arsenal striker Wright believed the conditions to be even worse in Madrid.
“Watching the Champions League quarter-final Real Madrid pitch, this is worse than Derby’s pitch the other day,” Wright said on social media. “This is a f****** disgrace the pitches these girls have to play on.”
Real Madrid’s win could have come at a cost with midfielder Melanie Leupolz appearing to suffer a knee injury. The Germany international screamed in pain after playing a long pass and immediately clutched at her right leg.
Though able to hobble off and down the tunnel, the incident raised fears that Leupolz could face a spell on the sidelines with Euro 2025 looming.
The second leg of the tie will be held at the Emirates next Wednesday as the pair vie for a place in the semi-finals.
