The knockout stages of the UEFA Women’s Champions League are here, and there are some blockbuster fixtures to come.
Barcelona are the current holders of the competition, having overcome Lyon in the final last season, and they are undoubtedly among the favourites once again. All three English clubs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, have reached the quarter-finals, with two set to face each other in the next round.
Both of Germany’s top clubs, Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg, have progressed, while eight-time winners Lyon also made it through the group stage and will be determined to win their first title since 2022.
90min predicts the outcome of the quarter-final ties and who will progress into the last four…
The first tie will see Women’s Super League giants Arsenal take on Real Madrid. The Spanish club’s best run in the competition came in 2022 when they reached the quarter-finals, while Arsenal lifted the trophy in 2007 and were semi-finalists as recently as the 2022/23 campaign.
After a poor start to the season under Jonas Eidevall, the Gunners have been in strong form since Renee Slegers took charge in October. They topped their group in the Champions League and have also turned their domestic campaign around.
Real Madrid remain second in Liga F behind Barcelona, but they proved their quality in the group stage with narrow defeats to Chelsea. This will be a closely contested tie, but over two legs, Arsenal should have enough to progress.
Predicted tie winner: Arsenal
Next up, eight-time winners Lyon will face Bayern Munich in the last eight. After falling to Barcelona in last season’s final in Bilbao, Lyon are back with a point to prove.
The French club’s status as the best team in women’s football has been challenged in recent years by Barcelona’s rapid rise, but they will be determined to reclaim their crown. Bayern’s best finish in the competition was the semi-finals in 2020/21. Yet they have fail to go beyond the quarter-finals in two of the last three seasons, and did not make it out of the group stage last term.
The Frauen-Bundesliga title race is extremely tight, with Eintracht Frankfurt just three points behind Bayern, forcing them to balance their priorities. Lyon, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in Division 1 Feminine and have a more comfortable lead, allowing them to focus fully on the Champions League, which should be enough to see them through.
Predicted tie winner: Lyon
The draw could not be much tougher for Wolfsburg as they prepare to face Barcelona, who have won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles. The German side were narrowly beaten 3-2 by Barcelona in the 2023 final, a defeat that will still be fresh in the minds of their players.
There is no denying that Wolfsburg are the underdogs in this tie, but they are embracing that status with open arms. The pressure is firmly on Barcelona, as most expect them to progress.
That being said, Barcelona have not looked as invincible this season, suffering defeat to Manchester City in the group stage and losing once in Liga F. That offers Wolfsburg a glimmer of hope, but over two legs, the Spanish side should have enough to get over the line.
Predicted tie winner: Barcelona
The most mouth-watering tie of all is between English giants Chelsea and Manchester City. For Chelsea, this season feels like the perfect opportunity to go all the way in Europe and make up for their 2021 final defeat to Barcelona.
Under new manager Sonia Bompastor, who has experience winning this competition with Lyon, the London club look like a different force this season. They strengthened significantly, adding Lucy Bronze in the summer and Keira Walsh in January, both of whom lifted the trophy with Barcelona in 2023 and 2024. The arrival of Naomi Girma, arguably the best defender in the world, also gives them an extra edge as they enter the latter stages of the competition.
City, on the other hand, have never progressed beyond the quarter-finals, and their drop-off in the WSL title race suggests they are struggling to compete on all fronts. March will see these two sides face off four times across multiple competitions, adding an extra layer of intrigue to this tie.
That unpredictable dynamic makes this one of the hardest quarter-finals to call, but if you had to back one team, Chelsea’s greater experience in Europe just gives them the edge.
