With the new format of the Women's Champions League, clubs are given a second chance to qualify for the knockout through the play-offs. Two legs home and away, it could all change. These drawn clubs, three or four, have already met in the league phase. They already know their competition, except for the Wolfsburg v Juventus match.
Arsenal v OH Leuven
Arsenal travelled to Belgium again and finished with a dominant performance, as they did when they left in December. A clean sheet and four goals, taking the total tally against OH Leuven this season to 7-0 over both fixtures, with the home leg still to come.
Kim Little made her 400th appearance for Arsenal, becoming only the third player in the club's history to reach that milestone. Kyra Cooney-Cross played her first football of the year.
Arsenal finally won the first leg of a Champions League knockout game for the first time in years, and do not need to come from behind in the second leg, as they expect to wrap it up, with Arsenal set to face London WSL rivals Chelsea in the quarter-final.
Olivia Smith went into the match on a yellow card and was booked again for time-wasting, meaning she will miss the second leg through suspension. If Emily Fox gets another yellow in the second leg, she would be suspended for the first leg in the quarter-final.
They won 4-0 away without Beth Mead or Stina Blackstenius, with Leah Williamson starting after an injury-ridden season so far, with Alessia Russo on the bench. The goals were scored by Frida Maanum, who scored twice, Olivia Smith, who has now netted for the second time in three days, and Russo.
Mannum scored the first witha flicked header into the bottom corner from a Caitlin Foord cross. Olivia Smith, fresh from her match-winning display against Manchester City, again showed her sharp movement, slipping her marker to meet a low Chloe Kelly cross. Within the first 30 minutes, Arsenal were already two goals up and could have added more in the first half after the two goalscorers missed other opportunities, but the visitors remained in control.
Seven minutes after the restart, Maanum made it 3-0, converting another Foord cross with a composed side-foot finish. Alessia Russo was shockingly introduced in the hour one would have thought, given the game time she's played, and that Arsenal were 3-0 up, she would have been rested. But no rest for the wicked as she added a fourth, smashing the ball home after Lowiese Seynhaeve failed to deal with Smilla Holmberg’s cross.
Renée Slegers, Arsenal manager, said: “The players executed everything exactly as I asked, and that is very rewarding as a coach. I believe in this team and in these players.”
Despite sitting 10 points off the WSL pace (with a game in hand), Arsenal have now produced two elite performances in four days.
After shutting out the WSL’s highest-scoring side, Manchester City, they again showed a clinical edge.
Frida Maanum, who failed to score in the final three months of 2025, has rediscovered her threat after strong performances at the FIFA Champions Cup.
Kim Little on 400 Appearances for the club: “You obviously don't count when you're playing, but it's so special. I have loved every minute of those 400 games.”
Paris FC v Real Madrid
Real Madrid secured a tight 3-2 victory over Paris FC in hopes of an El Clásico quarter-final against Barcelona.
The French side got on the scoreboard first through Korošec.
Real Madrid grew into the game, dominating possession and pushing Paris deeper into their own half. into their own half
Real Madrid came back into the game with the equaliser by Caroline Weir, which was followed by a long-range effort from Däbritz that struck the post.
Athenea del Castillo got the second just before half-time in her 200th match for the club.
The second half maintains the same level of intensity and tempo. Athenea came close to scoring in the 54th minute as Real Madrid defended well, while Paris chases an equaliser.
Linda Caicedo scored the third in the 83rd minute from Misa’s long pass from her own half, releasing the Colombian, who outpaced her marker and finished clinically. It all seemed wrapped up for the Spanish side when Mendy scored a 89th goal to close the goal difference to one going into the second leg.
Manchester United v Atletico Madrid
The debutants, Manchester United, are taking this competition like a duck to water, advancing to the quarter-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory.
The goals came from Elisabeth Terland, Melvine Malard and Julia Zigiotti Olme, leaving the time in control for the second leg at Old Trafford. Whoever wins faces German giants Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Manager Marc Skinner praised the performance:
“Three fantastic goals and we controlled Atleti, who are a great team, really well.
[It shows] huge growth from us. Managing moments, momentum, taking the goals when they come.
We know how tough the return leg will be, but we are looking forward to it.”
Manchester United go on the scoreboard within the first three minutes. Terland collected a through ball from Marard and fired into the top-right corner. Only five minutes later, Terland believed she got a double from an Ellen Wangerhein knock, but VAR check ruled the goal out for offside.
While one side pressed continuously for an equaliser before the break, Malard made it 2-0. The French forward ran onto a through ball and curled a strike across the goalkeeper into the far bottom corner.
United began the second half quickly, with Gallardo making an excellent point-blank save to deny Jayde Riviere just 90 seconds after the restart.
Malard was directly involved in all three United goals in the match, laying the ball off to Zigiotti Olme, who drilled it into the far post.
Manchester United extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches across all competitions despite Atletico's statistical edge and their efficiency on European away trips. This was a stronger win than the 1-0 victory for the English side in the League phase.
Juventus v Wolfsburg
The tie ended 2-2, and the fight for the quarter-finals against record eight-time champions Lyon is still up for grabs.
Juventus made a flying start, with Ana Capeta scoring on her debut after just six minutes. From a left-sided corner by Carbonell, the Portuguese forward headed past the goalkeeper at the near post to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Wolfsburg responded quickly. In the 15th minute, Huth’s cross struck the crossbar, while Juventus’ defence repelled other German efforts.
Juventus nearly doubled their lead before halftime when Walti struck the crossbar in the 39th minute. They went into the break 1-0 ahead.
Juventus controlled possession early in the second half. Capeta forced a corner with a deflected header in the 50th minute, but Schatzer later replaced Walti due to injury.
On the hour mark, Juventus doubled its lead. Vangsgaard finished a flowing move following a pass from Capeta. The Dane’s shot took a deflection off Dijkstra’s foot before skimming past goalkeeper Johannes and into the net.
Momentum shifted late on. After Kullberg departed with a muscle injury, Wolfsburg mounted a dramatic comeback.
Calligaris was penalised for handball following a VAR review. Minge converted from the penalty spot to make it 2-1. In the 95th minute, Sarai Linder unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box to level the tie at 2-2.
The late equaliser leaves the tie finely balanced heading into the decisive second leg in Turin.
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