Malmö fall to Chojnowski's Frankfurt fairy tale

Two goals at the death ensured 1. FFC Frankfurt were able to overturn a first-leg deficit and beat FC Malmö to the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals.

Malmö retained their 1-0 lead from last week for 66 minutes until Kerstin Garefrekes broke the deadlock. Then with extra time looming, 17-year-old substitute Silvana Chojnowski, on her Frankfurt debut, struck a last-minute goal before Garefrekes put the result beyond doubt.

Frankfurt were once more without regular goalkeeper Nadine Angerer due to a knee injury but welcomed the talismanic Fatmire Bajramaj back to the starting XI and dominated from the off. On 13 minutes a Dzenifer Marozsan cross from the right was almost put into her own net by Lina Nilsson. The resulting corner was picked up by Sandra Smisek and from the edge of the box she forced a save from Thóra Helgadóttir. At the other end a minute later, Amanda Ilestedt headed wide after a Therese Sjörgran free-kick.

The home side continued to press, Garefrekes's cross bouncing off the inside of the far post and Helgadóttir denying Maroszan. However, the Swedish champions knew the importance of an away goal and first-leg scorer Sara Bjork Gunnarsdóttir made Angerer's understudy Desirée Schumann produce a diving stop, though both Svenja Huth and Garefrekes went close for Frankfurt before the break.

Although Frankfurt were not as dominant after the interval, they levelled the tie when Bajramaj curled in a cross from the byline headed in by Garefrekes. Now Frankfurt had their tails up and a series of attacks culminated with Marozsan hitting the bar from just outside the box.

It seemed Frankfurt's pressure would amount to little but nine minutes after her introduction, Chojnowski turned in a cross from fellow substitute Ana Maria Crnogorčević. Malmö's spirits sunk and just as on their previous European entry eight years ago, they exited at the hands of Frankfurt when Garefrekes headed in a Marozsan cross to confirm the hosts' progress.

Frankfurt, aiming for a fourth European title, will meet Arsenal LFC next month for a place in the Munich Olympiastadion final; Malmö will be back in the 2012/13 round of 32.