Wolfsburg take narrow lead in UWCL
9 - Lineth Beerensteyn got the only goal in Germany as Wolfsburg took a narrow 1-0 first leg victory at the expense of record champions OL Lyonnes. It makes the return leg next Wednesday look all the more fascinating as two of the tournament's most renowned names look to make the final four. Wolfsburg, who lost to Lyonnes during the league phase, have beaten the French side for the first time in nine years.
16 - Lyonnes have their backs against the wall as they suffered their first reverse in the UWCL this term. While they created more than enough chances to not just get on the board, but win, they failed to get anything past Stina Johannes in the Wolfsburg goal. It is a rare feat when OL do not score in any match, let alone the Women's Champions League. In fact, the result ended their 16-game scoring streak in the competition.
6 - Holders Arsenal are in a commanding position in their tie as they got past Chelsea 3-1 at the Emirates. Stina Blackstenius, Chloe Kelly, and Alessia Russo were among the goals for the Gunners, who are 90 minutes away from returning to the semi-finals. While they had a slow start to the UWCL this term, they have really found their best form. Arsenal are now on a six-game winning streak in the competition.
2 - Chelsea's hopes of finally lifting the one major trophy they have yet to add to their cabinet may have to be put on hold for at least another year, as they find themselves in quite the pickle. While both sides had six attempts on target in the match, the Blues only scored from one of those chances, which proved to be costly. It is the second time Chelsea have lost to a fellow English team, though this could be a good omen for them as they overcame Manchester City at this stage two years ago after losing the first leg by two goals.
14 - Barcelona's domination of heated rivals Real Madrid continued with a 6-2 victory for the three-time winners in the Spanish capital. It leaves Real with a lot of work to do for the return leg eight days later. The pair will also meet in Liga F over the weekend, perhaps adding further intrigue. The bad news for Las Blancas is that they have lost all three head-to-heads versus Barca in the UWCL, conceding 14 times.
4 - Having made the last five finals of the competition, Barca look well on their way to reaching the semi-finals, taking them one step closer to going to an unprecedented sixth showpiece in a row. It looks quite hard to stop them at this point, seeing how easily they handled their foes. They are the only side left in Europe not to have been beaten so far, winning seven of eight games. Blaugrana have also prevailed across all four continental clashes with Spanish opposition.
8 - Manchester United, who have enjoyed an excellent maiden campaign in the UWCL proper, have their work cut out for them as they fell 3-2 at home to Bayern Munich. Twice did the hosts manage to draw level, only for Momoko Tanikawa to grab what proved to be the winner six minutes before the end. Both of United's matches against Frauen Bundesliga teams have ended in defeat, where they conceded eight times.
5 - Bayern will be very relieved to have come away with the win, especially considering just how good they are at home. The Bavarians have not reached the semi-finals since 2021/22, losing at this stage in three of the four seasons since. They will aim to continue their unbeaten record versus English sides at home next week. The number five is important for two reasons here: Bayern have ended their five-game winless run in knockout football with that win, and it was their fifth attempt at winning a UWCL match on English soil, finally coming out on top.
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Swedish duo have the edge in UWEC
7 - Sparta Praha once again find themselves in trouble, as they could not hold onto their 2-1 lead late on against Hammarby. The Czechs conceded three minutes after going in front, before a stoppage-time winner from 16-year-old Fanny Peterson scored to give the Swedes the 3-2 win. Sparta's struggles at home in Europe persist, and it could end up being the difference in this tie. They are now seven without victory in continental home matches.
12 - What a win it was for Hammarby, who looked set to suffer consecutive losses in the Women's Europa Cup. Instead, they return home for the second leg with a narrow advantage. The Damallsvenskan team have yet to play a domestic match this calendar year, but they continue to impress on the European stage, and now a final is potentially on the cards. Hammarby had 12 shots in what was a closely-contested match, one more than their opponents.
3 - The team in this season's maiden UWEC with the most pedigree are in serious danger of elimination. Four-time UWCL winners Eintracht Frankfurt were beaten 3-0 by BK Hacken at home, giving them an arduous task on their travels next Wednesday. A second-half double from Felicia Schroder has the guests in complete command of the tie. Frankfurt have lost at home to Swedish opposition for the third time.
22 - Hacken are looking quite good to make the UWEC, their first continental final. Combine what Hammarby is doing in their tie, and we could potentially see a third European final between teams from the same country, something that last happened in 2016/17. Although they saw just 30% of the ball, Getingarna made the most of their chances to earn the win. Hacken have scored 22 times in the Women's Europa Cup this season, more than any other team.