Brøndby, Verona and Ljungberg mark under threat

The UEFA Women's Champions League round of 16 lineup will take shape this week as the last-32 second legs are played.

Many of the leading lights, including holders Olympique Lyonnais and former winners 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam and Arsenal LFC, go into home legs already holding significant leads from last week's openers. However, the task is not so easy for others, notably former semi-finalists Brøndby IF. They face an unusually early exit as they welcome Norway's Stabæk FK on Wednesday having to overturn a 2-0 deficit.

They are not the only of the seeds, all at home in the return, who will begin behind. ASD CF Verona, who made the last four in 2007/08, are also 2-0 down as they welcome debutants Birmingham City LFC to what they hope will be a well-attended Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.

Meanwhile, three ties are level. Austria's NÖSV Neulengbach welcome CFF Olimpia Cluj on Wednesday having drawn 1-1 in Romania, while the next day Stjarnan take on fellow newcomers FK Zorkiy Krasnogorsk in Iceland with the tie goalless. FC Zürich Frauen go to France's FCF Juvisy Essonne, also on Thursday, having salvaged a draw in the opening game with a last-gasp Inka Grings equaliser.

Grings will have an extra incentive to score this week as she stands on 38 goals, one short of Hanna Ljungberg's all-time record. Her former Germany team-mate Anja Mittag, part of the WFC Malmö squad that are 4-0 up against MTK Hungária FC, is on an identical tally. One tie does not conclude this week, as AC Sparta Praha will not defend their 3-0 advantage at home to WFC SFK 2000 Sarajevo until 11 October.

Once all the second legs are settled, the round of 16 ties will be known as the draw has already taken place. As long as Potsdam protect their 3-1 lead over visitors Standard Fémina de Liège, and Arsenal make the most of their 3-0 advantage against FC Barcelona, Turbine and the Gunners will be matched in the pick of the fixtures.

Round of 32 second legs:
(current scoreline indicated)

Wednesday
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam (GER) 3-1 Standard Fémina de Liège (BEL)
Brøndby IF (DEN) 0-2 Stabæk FK (NOR)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA, holders) 7-0 PK-35 Vantaa (FIN)
WFC Malmö (SWE) 4-0 MTK Hungária FC (HUN)
Göteborg FC (SWE) 1-0 Spartak Subotica (SRB)
NÖSV Neulengbach (AUT) 1-1 CFF Olimpia Cluj (ROU)
ASD Torres Calcio (ITA) 3-2 Apollon Limassol LFC (CYP)
Fortuna Hjørring (DEN) 2-1 Glasgow City LFC (SCO)
ASD CF Verona (ITA) 0-2 Birmingham City LFC (ENG)

Thursday
FC Rossiyanka (RUS) 4-1 ADO Den Haag (NED)
Arsenal LFC (ENG) 3-0 FC Barcelona (ESP)
FK Zorkiy Krasnogorsk (RUS) 0-0 Stjarnan (ISL)
Røa Fotball Elite (NOR) 4-0 BIIK Shymkent (KAZ)
VfL Wolfsburg (GER) 5-1 RTP Unia Racibórz (POL)
FCF Juvisy Essonne (FRA) 1-1 FC Zürich Frauen (SUI)

11 October
AC Sparta Praha (CZE) 3-0 WFC SFK 2000 Sarajevo (BIH)

Round of 16 draw:
Played 31 October/1 November & 7/8 November
Apollon/Torres v Olimpia Cluj/Neulengbach
Birmingham/Verona v MTK/Malmö
Glasgow/Fortuna v Spartak/Göteborg
Unia/Wolfsburg v BIIK/Røa
Sarajevo/Sparta v Den Haag/Rossiyanka
Stjarnan/Zorkiy v Vantaa/Lyon
Barcelona/Arsenal v Standard/Potsdam
Stabæk/Brøndby v Zürich/Juvisy

Knockout calendar
Quarter-final & semi-final draw: 20 November
Quarter-finals: 20/21 & 27/28 March
Semi-finals: 13/14 & 20/21 April
Final (London): 23 May