Champions League Quarter-Finals: A Recap and Preview
- Darcey Slater
- Feb 9
- 3 min read
The Champions League Quarter-Final draw has thrown up some exciting clashes, setting the stage for a thrilling knockout phase. Let's recap the teams that have qualified and preview the upcoming matches.
Teams Qualified
Eight teams have secured their place in the knockout stages. Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Lyon topped their respective groups, while Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Wolfsburg finished as runners-up.
The recent transfer window saw significant movement, with top players like Naomi Girma, Kerolin, and Jenna Nighswonger joining clubs across Europe. The arrival of these top players is definitely sure to elevate the level of competitiveness.
Key Player Focus
Chelsea - Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd has made a massive impact on the Chelsea side this season. Being at the club since 2022, she's already won the league twice and the FA Cup.
Barcelona - Joining Barcelona at the beginning of the season Ewa Pajor is currently the season's top goal scorer with 14 goals for the club. Getting to the Champions League final 4 times, she has plenty of experience in the competition but will be going out to win the trophy this year with Barca.
Lyon - Melchie Dumornay joined Lyon in July 2023 and since then has become a high scorer for the club. At only 21 she has already broken into the Haiti national team, making 20 appearances and scoring 20 across them. She is also the top scorer so far this season for her club scoring 11 goals across 11 matches.
Arsenal - Mariona Caldentey joined Arsenal at the beginning of the season after playing for Barcelona for ten years. She won three Champions League titles with the club and scored 16 goals in the competition across the years.
Manchester City - Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw has always been a machine for every club she plays for. After winning the Golden Boot last season and becoming the outright record holder for the most hat tricks scored in the league, there is no slowing her down.
Wolfsburg - Lineth Beerensteyn joined Wolfsburg at the beginning of the season. She is an experienced player making over 100 appearances for the Netherlands and over 250 appearances domestically.
Real Madrid - playing for Arsenal and Manchester City, Caroline Weir is familiar with the Champions League and the competition. Making over 100 appearances for her country she becomes a vital player in whatever squad she walks into whether it's club or country.
Bayern Munich - Part of the Euro 22 squad that finished second, Klara Bühl is a key player domestically and internationally. She scored 5 goals for Bayern this season and the highest for assists. She is a top player for creating chances as well as touches.
The Draw
The tournament match-ups, including quarter-final, semifinal, and final have been announced
Quarter-Finals:
● Quarter-Final 1: Real Madrid vs. Arsenal
● Quarter-Final 2: Manchester City vs. Chelsea
● Quarter-Final 3: Wolfsburg vs. Barcelona
● Quarter-Final 4: Bayern Munich vs. Lyon
Semi-Finals:
● Semi-Final 1: Winner of Quarter-Final 3 vs. Winner of Quarter-Final 2
● Semi-Final 2: Winner of Quarter-Final 1 vs. Winner of Quarter-Final 4
Final:
● Winner of Semi-Final 2 vs. Winner of Semi-final 1
What's Next:
Each team will play each other home and away, combining the score of each match (aggregate). Whoever can beat the other on aggregate will progress to the semis playing the winner from another match-up.
The remaining dates for the competition are as follows:
Quarter-finals:
First leg: 18/19 March
Second leg: 26/27 March
Semi-finals:
First leg: 19/20 April
Second leg: 26/27 April
Final (Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon)
24th May
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