A memorable UEFA Ladies’s Champions League season resumes this week with the primary leg of the knockout part playoffs, headlined by Arsenal’s makes an attempt to defend their title and a batch of first-timers who hope to increase their keep in Europe’s high membership competitors.
The Gunners will face Belgium’s OH Leuven, who’ve turn into the Champions League’s Cinderella story throughout their first-ever stint within the competitors correct. Leuven went undefeated towards a handful of well-regarded sides throughout the league part, proving their value towards some Champions League regulars within the course of. How they match up towards one of many sport’s elites in Arsenal, who’re within the midst of a resurgence after a poor begin to the season, is one other query solely, although.
Fellow UWCL newcomers Manchester United additionally return to motion with a tie towards Atletico Madrid, one that can supply a litmus check of their progress within the midst of a memorable season. Two-time Ladies’s Champions League winners Wolfsburg, in the meantime, will tackle six-time Italian champions Juventus and the fixture checklist is rounded out by Actual Madrid’s faceoff with Paris FC.
The winners of those ties await conferences with Barcelona, OL Lyonnes, Chelsea and Bayern Munich within the quarterfinals after that quartet secured direct passageway to the ultimate eight with a high 4 end within the league part.
Here is what you want to know earlier than tuning in.
The right way to watch
Paramount+ and CBS Sports activities Community will every be a one-stop store for the primary leg of the Ladies’s Champions League knockout part playoffs, with each platforms simulcasting all protection and each minute of the motion. Protection will start with a brand new version of the UEFA Ladies’s Champions League At this time pre-match present earlier than the early match, whereas studio protection resumes in between matches and concludes with the post-match present to recap the motion on Wednesday and Thursday.
UEFA Ladies’s Champions League bracket
Knockout part playoffs first leg schedule
All instances U.S./Jap
Storylines for the knockout part playoffs
Are Arsenal turning issues round?: The reigning European champions acquired off to a sluggish begin this season, a lot in order that they missed out on a direct berth to the Champions League quarterfinals and presently sit outdoors the highest three within the Ladies’s Tremendous League as issues stand, which means qualification for subsequent season’s competitors isn’t any certain factor. They might have formally corrected course, although – they’ve only one loss of their final 14, a stretch that features lifting the inaugural FIFA Ladies’s Champions Cup. The checklist additionally consists of spectacular wins over Chelsea and Ladies’s Tremendous League leaders Manchester Metropolis in current weeks, a sign that the Gunners is likely to be peaking at simply the suitable time because the enterprise finish of the European season begins.
They’ve an intriguing impediment in entrance of them in OH Leuven, the Belgian aspect which have turn into everybody’s favourite underdog and reached the knockouts of their first-ever Champions League season. They went unbeaten towards Paris FC, Twente, Roma and Paris Saint-Germain however their two losses within the league part is likely to be telling. Defeats to Barcelona and Arsenal, who breezed via a 3-0 win on Matchday 6, point out that Leuven might nonetheless be a step behind the elites of the sport.
Can Manchester United preserve going?: Manchester United have been on a gradual upward trajectory since they have been formally based in 2018, a path that has allowed them to succeed in new heights this season. They presently sit second within the WSL, eight factors adrift of league leaders Manchester Metropolis however rising above the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal within the course of, and completed only one level in need of a direct berth within the UWCL quarterfinals, returning to their first-ever European season as a real darkish horse. Their knockout part playoff tie towards Atletico Madrid, although, will check them in additional methods than one as United proceed a memorable season.
United acquired the higher of Atleti in a 1-0 win on Matchday 2 due to a purpose from Fridolina Rolfo, who has been a boon since her summer time transfer from Barcelona. Rolfo has three objectives for United within the Champions League thus far, doing her greatest to contribute to a goal-shy attacking unit that scored simply seven instances throughout the league part. United are additionally one in all three groups that certified for the knockouts with a detrimental purpose differential, although U.S. girls’s nationwide group goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce will probably be counted on to return up huge. Atleti, although, have their very own attacking star in Spain worldwide Fiamma Benitez, who has 4 objectives within the UWCL this season. The Spanish aspect additionally get pleasure from expertise – they’ve 4 of their final 5 two-legged ties in UEFA competitors, whereas United have one win and one loss, a sign of their lack of expertise at this stage.
