Arsenal sell out the Emirates for Women’s Champions League semi-final

Over 60,000 tickets have been sold as Arsenal look to reach the Women’s Champions League final in front of a record crowd

Arsenal defeated Bayern Munich in front of over 20,000 in the quarter-finals (Getty Images)

Arsenal have sold out Emirates Stadium for their Women’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Wolfsburg on Monday.

Over 60,000 tickets have been sold in what will be a record crowd for a women’s club match in England.

It is set to smash Arsenal’s previous attendance record at the Emirates, which was set earlier this season as a crowd of 47,367 watched the 4-0 win over Tottenham in the Women’s Super League.

Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League by Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals last season and played their home leg in front of a crowd of just over 5,000, illustrating the rapid growth in attendances for the women’s game since the Lionesses won the European Championships last summer.

Arsenal are aiming to reach their first Champions League final since 2007 as they host Wolfsburg, with the tie in the balance after a 2-2 draw in Germany.

The Gunners fought back to claim an important draw after going 2-0 down, despite the absences of key players such as Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and captain Kim Little - who are all out for the season.

Jonas Eidevall’s side progressed to the semi-finals after a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich at the Emirates, with the attendance of just over 21,307 setting a record for a Women’s Champions League match in England.

That is now set to be almost tripled, and the sell-out means that over 240,000 tickets have been purchased to watch Arsenal Women at the Emirates this season, across three Women’s Super League matches and five Champions League games.

The winner of the tie will face Barcelona, who defeated Arsenal’s rivals Chelsea 2-1 on aggregate in front of a crowd of over 70,000 at the Nou Camp on Thursday.

Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham said: “It’s wonderful news that such a huge match for us has sold out.

“We would like to say thank you to our supporters, with over 60,000 tickets sold for Monday’s match. We also say thank you for your fantastic support throughout the season – at Emirates Stadium, at Meadow Park and at grounds across England and Europe.

It promises to be an exciting night in north London and we’re delighted that Jonas and our women’s first team will have the backing of so many supporters on this big occasion in the club’s history.”