Calm before Women's Cup storm

European women's football leagues took the weekend off as attentions around the continent were drawn by the qualifiers for the FIFA Women's World Cup. Many of the teams preparing for the UEFA Women's Cup quarter-finals have been given an extended rest ahead of their knockout ties.

Turbine mauling
Holders 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam have not played in the German Bundesliga since 11 September, when secured an awesome 13-0 win at FSV Frankfurt. They sit third in the table after three wins and a draw. Their quarter-final opponents Valur Reykjavík are also lagging on the domestic front. Despite taking 12 wins from their first 14 matches, they are still second in the Icelandic league behind Breidablík.

Fixture congestion
Potsdam's German rivals 1. FFC Frankfurt also have ample time to prepare for what looks like the tie of the round against Arsenal LFC. The German champions are second in the Bundesliga behind FCR 2001 Duisburg, but have four wins out of four and a game in hand. Arsenal have not played since the completion of the second qualifying round on 17 September, but face a fixture pile-up ahead of the Frankfurt encounter. The first leg, at Barnet FC's Underhill stadium on 8 October, comes just two days after a Premier League game away at Charlton Athletic LFC and six days after they face Wolverhampton Wanderers LFC in the League Cup.

Mallbackens defeated
Last season's beaten finalists, Djurgården/Älvsjö, were one of the few sides in action last week. They beat Mallbackens IF 3-1 in the Swedish championship, with goals coming from Laura Kalmari, Linda Fagerström and Venus James. Kalmari was also on target for Finland on Saturday in a 3-1 FIFA World Cup qualifying win against Poland. They are third in the league behind pacesetters Umeå IK and Malmö IF. They play their quarter-final first leg on 11 October, away at AC Sparta Praha, who had no match last week.

Ominous Brøndby
Brøndby IF look in ominous form ahead of their meeting with Montpellier HSC. The Danish champions secured a convincing 4-0 win away against Skovbakken on Wednesday, but remain second in the table following an earlier defeat by leaders Fortuna Hjørring. Their French opponents have had little chance to find domestic form, having played just one league match this season, a 7-0 win against Saint-Memmie Olympique.