UEFA Women's Champions LeagueSee standings
Frida Maanum (22') Caroline Graham Hansen (59')
Arsenal's valiant effort at Spotify Camp Nou earned the team a well-deserved point against the reigning UEFA Women's Champions League winners Barcelona, which saw both sides stay in the top four of the league phase table.
Frida Maanum opened the scoring in the game after a turn of play from the Gunners saw Caitlin Foord's shot saved by Cata Coll, but the Norwegian midfielder for Arsenal struck the follow-up into the back of the net and gave Arsenal the lead in Europe.
Barcelona's first half saw them have most of the possession and most of the chances, but the team continuously failed to find the back of the net and Pere Romeu would have been disappointed that their opportunities were missed.
Caroline Graham Hansen levelled the score for the home side in the second half from inside the box after Arsenal's defence failed to close her down, but the Catalan team could not get any more on target to take all three points away from the North London side.
Arsenal's defence stepped up in the second half of the game, and their mentality shift to have everybody defend helped Renee Slegers' side see the point out in Spain.
Story of The Match
Barcelona made three changes from their Liga F win over Madrid CFF, with Irene Paredes back from injury to partner Renee Van Asten at centre back and Patri Guijarro returning to the starting eleven.
Arsenal made one change from their weekend Women's Super League win against Liverpool, with Maanum replacing Olivia Smith in the starting eleven.
Barcelona wore their blue and red home kits while Arsenal donned their all-yellow third kits. The visitors kicked the game off in Spain, but Barcelona quickly won the ball back after kick-off.
Arsenal got close to Barcelona's final third, but the home team swarmed the attackers and forced the Gunners to go back to their own half.
An overhead pass from Leah Williamson found Foord, who ran at the Barcelona box. Foord's shot was blocked but she managed to chip it over to Alessia Russo, whose header just clipped the post and went out for a goal kick.
Graham Hansen worked her way into the Arsenal box and attempted the shot from a tight angle, but Misa Rodríguez pushed the ball out for a corner.
Sydney Schertenleib slipped into the box after Graham Hansen threaded the ball through for her, and Misa managed to save the shot with her face.
Barcelona could not get the ball into the back of the net, with Misa making massive blocks after Graham Hansen cut the ball back into the box and Esmee Brugts failed to find the goal.
Williamson's loose pass found Ewa Pajor, but the Gunners defence won the ball back and got themselves out of danger.
Barcelona won a free-kick in a dangerous position outside Arsenal's box, but the ball did not beat the wall. Despite that, Graham Hansen crossed the ball into the box, but neither Pajor nor Brugts could get on the end of it.
Arsenal opened the scoring against Barcelona in the 22nd minute after Maanum hit the follow-up from Foord's saved shot, and the Gunners took the lead against the Catalan giants.
A free header by Paredes from a Barcelona corner was missed, and Arsenal could breathe a sigh of relief after another missed chance by the home team.
Misa got enough on the ball to get it away from the net after a Barcelona corner was swung into the box, and the Gunners were once again under pressure from the Catalan team.
Schertenleib drove her shot straight at Misa from outside the box and then proceeded to miss the follow-up, and Pajor could not get her feet right to level the scores.
Patri connected with the ball in the Arsenal box, but the ball went out of play for a Gunners goal kick.
Another miss for the home team saw Schertenleib's shot fire over the crossbar, but the pressure continued to mount on Arsenal's defence.
Taylor Hinds played the ball into Foord, but Coll managed to get a hand to it and play it out to safety.
Foord picked out Maanum at the edge of the box, but the goalscorer was surrounded by Barcelona players and the home side went on a counter-attack. Clàudia Pina danced around Williamson, but the winger could not finish the chance.
Lisa Baum took a chance of her own, but the ball fired wide over the net.
Williamson gave the ball away again and allowed Barcelona the chance to attack, but Misa deflected the ball and the Catalan giants failed to find the net, with the ball finding Graham Hansen in the box, who saw her header hit the post.
Half-time sounded out in Spain and the visitors went in the happier of the sides with a one-nil lead after 45 minutes.
Second Half Changes
Neither side made any changes at the break, with Barcelona kicking the next 45 minutes off.
Barcelona won a free-kick out on the left wing after Emily Fox fouled Schertenleib, but Foord headed the ball away from the box. Barcelona continued forward, but Misa rose to collect the ball on her goal line.
Russo flicked the ball away from the Barcelona defence and continued into their attacking half, but Maanum was called offside.
Barcelona attempted a one-two in the Gunners box, but Kim Little defended the box before Steph Catley cleared the ball away, and eventually the ball went out for a goal kick for Misa.
Baum worked into the Barcelona attacking third with a ball laid into Foord's path, but the Gunners could not find the back of the net and Coll collected the ball easily.
Arsenal have all bodies back in the box defending their net from the constant Barcelona attack to keep the Catalan side out.
Aitana Bonmati was subbed on for Clara Serrajordi, with Arsenal attempting to get in behind the Barcelona defence after the substitution, but Coll came out of her box to clear the ball away from the Arsenal strikers.
Catley conceded a corner for Arsenal after her failed clearance found Graham Hansen, before Williamson conceded another corner with the ball over the top of the net.
Barcelona find their equaliser through Graham Hansen after Brugts clipped the ball over to the winger in space in Arsenal's box, and she picked out the back of the net just before 60 minutes in Spain.
Mentality Shift
Arsenal made their first changes of the evening, with Smith and Ona Batlle making way onto the pitch for Baum and Hinds, while Barcelona continued to press the Gunners defence, but Georgia Stanway eventually got the ball to safety.
The Gunners won a corner, but the effort was missed by the North London side.
Smith drove forward and crossed the ball into the box, but Russo fired it way over the crossbar, leaving the score level at 1-1.
Smith once again went on the run down the wing and won another corner for the visitors, and the ball ricocheted around the box before Barcelona forced their way back into Arsenal's defensive half.
Camara pulled the ball back into the Gunners box for Pajor, but the Polish striker did not fix her feet in time and Arsenal cleared the ball to safety.
Pina attempted to curl the ball into the box, but Misa came out and collected the ball with no qualms from the Barcelona strikers. Schertenleib's shot from outside the box was collected again by Arsenal's goalkeeper despite the spill, and the Gunners continued to keep Barcelona out.
Maanum attempted to round Coll from a pass by Fox and won a corner for the Gunners.
Kyra Cooney-Cross came on for Arsenal, replacing Stanway in midfield, and Arsenal's corner by Catley was caught by Coll easily.
Foord laid the ball off to Batlle in the Barcelona defensive third to win another corner for the Gunners, where the ball was forced out for another corner by Graham Hansen, but the ball from Catley hit the side netting.
Brugts was replaced by Rosalía Domínguez for Barcelona, and Arsenal continued to attack through Smith, but the Canadian winger was dispossessed by Schertenleib.
The Gunners continued their attack on the Catalan team down both wings and forced Barcelona to defend their net.
Pina attempted to dance through the Arsenal defence but could not find her way through all the bodies in the box.
There were two minutes of added time to play in Spain, and both teams attempted to find a winner in the closing minutes of the game, with Barcelona getting a corner which was cleared away.
The full-time whistle rang out in Barcelona after some confusion, but both sides take a point away from the game. Barcelona will be frustrated to drop points in the league phase but maintain their second place in the table, while Arsenal earned the point despite their struggling first half.
The holders' next Champions League fixture is against Servette at home, which should see the Catalan team get back to winning ways in the European competition, but Arsenal face French champions OL Lyonnes and will fight to keep their place in the top four.
