Quarter-finalists ready for action

Holders 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam kick off the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday with the first leg of their tie at France's FCF Juvisy Essonne, while the other three games take place on Thursday and the return matches on 23 March. UEFA.com previews the action.

FCF Juvisy Essonne v 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam (Wednesday, 19.00)
Juvisy are 15 points behind Olympique Lyonnais in fourth in the league but reached the French Cup quarter-finals at the weekend with a 5-0 win at second-tier SO Saint-Herblain, with Gaëtane Thiney scoring twice and Virginie Mendes, Amélie Coquet and Kadidiatou Diani also on target. It is a big week for Juvisy as, in between the two European games, they have a derby with Paris Saint-Germain FC.

Potsdam go into the match on a high after the 3-0 victory against SG Essen-Schönebeck that wrapped up a third successive German title on Sunday in front of 7,000 spectators including federal president Christian Wulff. Now veteran coach Bernd Schröder has his sights on a treble including a second straight UEFA Women's Champions League. "Winning the title in our [40th] year is unique, it is gigantic," he said. "But now we want to take the other steps as well."

Zvezda-2005 v Olympique Lyonnais (Thursday, 15.00)
Zvezda, who need to win this competition to return to Europe after a third-place finish in Russia in 2010, have strengthened their midfield for the new domestic season, signing the league's player of last year Tatiana Skotnikova from FC Rossiyanka (who she represented in an earlier round ruling her out of Zvezda's European campaign) and Lyudmyla Pekur from FC Energia Voronezh, as well as giving Vira Dyatel a new deal. However, Netherlands defender Petra Hogewoning is out with a knee injury. Coach Natalia Zinchenko, whose team came back to Perm from a German training camp last Friday, said: "We are meeting very strong opponents. They were finalists last year and have since beaten our league rivals FC Rossiyanka 11-1 on aggregate. We have prepared very hard."

Lyon have not only been flying in Europe this term, but have won all 16 of their league games, scoring 73 goals and conceding just four. On Sunday they overcame FC Rodez 3-0 to make the French Cup quarter-finals, and nine of their players helped France to bronze at last week's Cyprus Women's Cup. Coach Patrice Lair hopes to benefit from the fact the Russian league has not resumed. "I think it could make a difference," he said.

Arsenal LFC v Linköpings FC (Thursday, 15.30)
Arsenal's first domestic match of the year on Sunday proved a real boost as they won 2-0 at FA Women's Cup holders Everton to avenge their defeat in last year's decider and get to the quarter-finals. Experienced midfielder Jayne Ludlow is sidelined through injury and Jennifer Beattie is a doubt after sitting out the weekend game with an ankle problem.

More than five months have passed since Linköping's last competitive fixture – a 5-0 thrashing of Kristianstads DFF in the last round of the 2010 Damallsvenskan, in which they finished third behind LdB FC Malmö. Linköping's pre-season results have been mixed: two wins and two defeats during January and February. Sweden forward Kosovare Asllani is rated doubtful with a thigh muscle strain sustained during the four-nation tournament in China in January. Captain Charlotte Rohlin said: "I like the idea of kicking off our season with such a big match. It makes us focused and motivated from the start."

Everton v FCR 2001 Duisburg (Thursday, 20.00)
Everton's loss to Arsenal means they can only return to Europe next season by winning this competition, because the FA Women's Cup is acting as England's qualifier due to the launch of the new FA WSL competition which begins in April. However, ahead of her team's first European quarter-final, manager Mo Marley told evertonfc.com: "Maybe this Champions League game was a bit more in the players' minds than the Arsenal game? We'll find those answers out come Thursday – how disappointed the players are, and how determined they are to make the performance right."

Having finished the 2010/11 Bundesliga season third and out of the European places despite a 5-0 success against 1. FC Saarbrücken, Duisburg are now focusing on reclaiming the European title they won in 2009. Coach Marco Ketelaer, who recently replaced Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, has not had a chance to watch their hosts but said: "We have info on them. Everton are a very good, confident and successful team. Maybe it will hinder them that they play their [second] competitive game after the winter break against us; on the other hand all their internationals have played several games already this year." Top scorer Inka Grings is "very doubtful" with the illness that kept her out on Sunday.

Semi-final draw (matches 9/10 & 16/17 April)
Zvezda/Lyon v Arsenal/Linköping
Everton/Duisburg v Juvisy/Potsdam

All kick-off times CET (England is one hour behind, Perm (Russia) is four hours ahead)