Arsenal forward Alessia Russo has made no secret of her excitement as the Gunners prepare for a heavyweight Women’s Champions League quarter-final clash against Chelsea.
With momentum firmly on Arsenal’s side, Russo believes the upcoming all-English tie is a thrilling marker of just how far the team has come in Europe.
Speaking ahead of the showdown, the forward highlighted both the familiarity and the magnitude of facing domestic rivals on the continental stage.
“So exciting and a team we are so familiar with,” Russo told Disney+.
As the competition intensifies and the stakes rise, Russo acknowledged that matches of this calibre are part and parcel of deep Champions League runs.
“When you play Champions League football and get closer towards the final you come up against really tough teams.”
However, the uniqueness of this particular matchup is not lost on her, with two English heavyweights battling it out for a place in the semi-finals.
“To play Chelsea, an English team, probably something that we are not so used to in the quarter-finals, will be amazing. Two top teams coming up against each other for a place in the semi-final. It’s unreal.
“We are playing well, we are playing good football and that breeds confidence in everyone.”
She added: “We are winning as well, we are grinding out results in different ways and everyone is contributing in different ways, so I think the feeling around the whole team in general is really positive.”
With confidence building and silverware firmly in sight, Arsenal will now look to turn that positivity into a statement performance when they meet Chelsea on Europe’s biggest stage.
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