UWCL draw: all-English quarter-final between City and Chelsea; Arsenal to face Real Madrid

On Feb 7, the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final pairings were drawn, and each team’s route to the final laid out.

Manchester City and Chelsea will face each other in an all-English blockbuster clash, while the only other English team, Arsenal, has drawn Real Madrid. Holders Barcelona have drawn Wolfsburg in a repeat of the 2022/23 final. Looking to win the competition three years in a row, Barcelona are certain to face an English team should they proceed to the semi-finals. Arsenal must best Real Madrid over two legs, before facing Bayern Munich or eight-time winners Lyon in a potential semi-final, should they wish to meet familiar foes in Lisbon on Saturday 24 May.

Chelsea face a difficult draw but are yet to lose in all competitions so far this season

Chelsea have consistently placed amongst the competition’s favourites in recent years, having dominated the WSL, winning the title five years in a row. But the Champions League has always been just out of reach, with long-term coach Emma Hayes departing England for the USWNT last summer without the trophy on Chelsea’s shelf. They face a difficult draw but are yet to lose in all competitions so far this season (22W, 1D, 0L).

Looking to stop them will be Manchester City, who are in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2021. In their only match-up so far this season, Chelsea beat City 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the WSL. City’s recent 3-4 loss to Arsenal has left them two points adrift of the UWCL qualifying spots in the league, seemingly out of the title race. With Chelsea at home in the second leg, they’re probable favourites, but City will be looking to upset the odds and topple a national rival in the process.

The only English team to have ever won the competition, Arsenal, have drawn Real Madrid

Consistent competition favourites Barcelona face Wolfsburg, who sit third in the Frauen Bundesliga. Barcelona have enjoyed a successful domestic season as per usual, five points clear of Real Madrid at the top of Liga F, having dropped points just once thus far: a recent 1-2 loss to Levante. A tumultuous group stage for Wolfsburg saw them scrape into the knockouts ahead of Roma in Group A. Having accumulated just nine points across six games, they hold the weakest group-stage record of any team in the draw, and face an uphill battle against the European giants, with the second leg in Spain as well.

The only English team to have ever won the competition, Arsenal, who did so as part of a historic sextuple in 2006/07, have drawn Real Madrid. Madrid have been consistently second-best domestically over recent years, while Arsenal too have had to watch Chelsea lift the league trophy from third. Madrid are in somewhat unfamiliar territory, finishing bottom of their group with just one point last season. Arsenal are fairly regular competitors in Europe, but have struggled in the knockout stages. With the second leg in London, Arsenal are the favourites to advance.

Eight-time winners Lyon, consistently the best team in France and one of Europe’s giants of women’s football will be keen to stop Bayern Munich

Also on Arsenal’s side of the draw, Bayern Munich face Lyon, with the first leg in Germany. Neck-and-neck with Eintracht Frankfurt for the Frauen Bundesliga title, Bayern impressed in the group stages with big wins against Arsenal (5-2) and Juventus (4-0). Eight-time winners Lyon, consistently the best team in France and one of Europe’s giants of women’s football will be keen to stop them. Losing out to Barcelona in last year’s final (2-0) will be fresh in their minds, and with home advantage in the second leg, the odds are in their favour to progress.

Ties will take place over two legs beginning Tuesday 18 March with Real Madrid v Arsenal at 5:45pm (GMT).