The Women’s Champions League knockout stage begins this week, with both Chelsea and Arsenal aiming to become the first English team to lift the trophy since the Gunners did so in 2007. Back then Arsenal defeated Umea of Sweden in the final, when the competition was still known as the UEFA Women’s Cup. It was rebranded as the Champions League in 2009, and a group stage was introduced last season.
Chelsea and Arsenal have highlighted the growing strength of the English Women’s Super League, each finishing top of their respective groups. Arsenal notably thumped reigning European champions Lyon 5‑1 away in France. Earlier this month Arsenal beat Chelsea 3‑1 to win the English League Cup and now face Bayern Munich, hoping to avoid a second straight quarter‑final exit at the hands of German opponents after losing to Wolfsburg last season. Bayern, currently two points behind Wolfsburg at the top of the Frauen‑Bundesliga, will play the two legs against Arsenal around a crucial domestic title showdown with their rivals.
Chelsea travel to France to meet Lyon, a side that has won the Champions League six of the last seven seasons and a record eight times overall. Despite being beaten finalists in 2021, Chelsea are undaunted by Sonia Bompastor’s team, which includes Norway star Ada Hegerberg returning from a long injury lay‑off. Emma Hayes’s side defeated Paris Saint‑Germain both home and away in the group stage, keeping clean sheets in both matches. Chelsea sit atop the WSL, two points clear of Manchester United and Manchester City, each with a game in hand, while Arsenal sit five points behind the leaders in fourth place.
Lyon’s Danish forward Signe Bruun, who spent last season at Manchester United, explained that injuries hampered the team early on: “We had a lot of injuries around that time. It is not an excuse, we still have to beat the good teams, but I think we were struggling a bit in the beginning of the season. We qualified and that was the most important and now we are starting from scratch.” Bruun believes the rise of English clubs in Europe is healthy for the women’s game: “It is very healthy for women’s football that there are so many teams that can compete for the Champions League. I think that is also an important part of the improvement for the women’s game. I think it will be more and more rare that the same team wins twice in a row.”
Barcelona, who nearly retained the title last season but lost to Lyon in the Turin final, continue to dominate domestically despite the ongoing absence of injured Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas. They cruised through to the quarter‑finals, where they will face Roma. Roma coach Alessandro Spugna praised Barcelona’s strength: “Barcelona’s numbers are crazy, incredible. I have seen a lot of Barcelona and the more I watch them the fewer weaknesses I see.”
Wolfsburg, five‑time finalists in the last decade and two‑time winners, saw their hopes of advancing against PSG dented after Germany midfield star Lena Oberdorf was ruled out of Wednesday’s first leg with a knee sprain.
**Fixtures (kick‑offs GMT)**
**Tuesday** – Munich, Germany (17:45) Bayern Munich (GER) v Arsenal (ENG)
Rome (20:00) Roma (ITA) v Barcelona (ESP)
**Wednesday** – Lyon, France (17:45) Lyon (FRA) v Chelsea (ENG)
Paris (20:00) Paris Saint‑Germain (FRA) v Wolfsburg (GER)
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