Women's Champions League round 2: Arsenal, Lyon, Wolfsburg among group qualifiers
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Article summary
Former champions Arsenal, Lyon and Wolfsburg are among 12 round 2 winners completing the line-up for the new 16-team group stage.
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Arsenal, Benfica, Breidablik, Häcken, HB Køge, Hoffenheim, Juventus, Lyon, Real Madrid, Servette, WFC Kharkiv and Wolfsburg are through from UEFA Women's Champions League round 2 to join holders Barcelona and fellow direct entrants Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern München and Chelsea in the new group stage running from October.
The 15 teams progressing from round 1, among them 2006/07 winners Arsenal, had joined nine sides starting at this stage, including record seven-time champions Lyon and two-time title holders Wolfsburg. All three earned group spots and among those also through are debutants HB Køge, Hoffenheim and Madrid.
Through to group stage: Arsenal, Barcelona (holders)*, Bayern München*, Benfica, Breidablik, Chelsea*, Häcken, HB Køge, Hoffenheim, Juventus, WFC Kharkiv, Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain*, Real Madrid, Servette, Wolfsburg
*Entering direct in group stage
Second legs
Thursday 9 September
WFC Kharkiv 3-1 Apollon LFC (agg: 5-2)
Slavia Praha 0-4 Arsenal (agg: 0-7)
Breidablik 3-0 Osijek (agg: 4-1)
Benfica 4-0 Twente (agg: 5-1)
Juventus 1-0 Vllaznia (agg: 3-0)
Wednesday 8 September
Glasgow City 1-2 Servette (agg: 2-3)
Lyon 2-1 Levante (agg: 4-2)
HB Køge 2-0 Sparta Praha (agg: 3-0)
Hoffenheim 3-3 Rosengård (agg: 6-3)
Bordeaux 3-2 Wolfsburg (aet, agg: 5-5, Wolfsburg win 3-0 on pens)
Häcken 3-2 Vålerenga (agg: 6-3)
Manchester City 0-1 Real Madrid (agg: 1-2)
- Lyon captain Wendie Renard reached 95 European club appearances in the second leg, meaning she could be the first player to 100 in the group stage.
- Vivianne Miedema's 13-minute second-half hat-trick for Arsenal (her third against Slavia in four meetings) took her to 100 goals for the Gunners, and 23 in only 15 European career appearances. Kim Little's penalty took her to 39 UEFA women's club goals, joint ninth all-time with Hanna Ljungberg and one ahead of Inka Grings.
- Hoffenheim, HB Køge and Madrid are into the group stage in their debut European seasons.
- Mickaella Cardia struck in the last minute of extra time for newcomers Bordeaux but Wolfsburg won the shoot-out after just three kicks each to keep alive their hopes of reaching at least the quarter-finals for the tenth season running.
- Benfica (for who Cloé Lacasse got a hat-trick), Juventus, Servette and WFC Kharkiv had never before reached the last 16 under any previous format. Benfica are the first Portuguese side to do so.
- Breidablik are the first team from Iceland to reach a major UEFA club competition home-and-away group stage (men or women).
No more away goals rule
There has been a rule change for 2021/22: ties level after the second leg will go to extra time and a penalty shoot-out if required, irrespective of the number of away goals a team has scored.
First legs
Wednesday 1 September
Osijek 1-1 Breidablik
Wolfsburg 3-2 Bordeaux
Sparta Praha 0-1 HB Køge
Vålerenga 1-3 Häcken
Vllaznia 0-2 Juventus
Servette FC Chênois 1-1 Glasgow City
Levante 1-2 Lyon
Tuesday 31 August
Apollon LFC 1-2 WFC Kharkiv
Rosengård 0-3 Hoffenheim
Twente 1-1 Benfica
Arsenal 3-0 Slavia Praha
Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester City
- Lyon kept up their record of winning the opening game in all 15 of their European campaigns.
- In Arsenal's win, the Gunners became only the second team to pass 250 goals in the competition, Kim Little moved into the top ten all-time competition scorers with her 38th in Europe and Vivianne Miedema struck her 20th in the UEFA Women's Champions League on just her 14th appearance.
- Fenna Kalma's goal for Twente took her to a competition-leading eight for the season, and 17 goals in only ten career games in Europe.
- Kenti Robles scored a last-gasp equaliser against Manchester City. Her sole previous European goal was a last-gasp equaliser against Manchester City in the round of 32 first leg two years ago for Atlético, who then won the return 2-0 in England.
Team guide
- Lyon's five-year reign as champions was ended last season; they have a record seven titles overall.
- Wolfsburg have won this competition twice and Arsenal claimed the title in 2006/07.
- HB Køge and Real Madrid make their European debuts in this round while Bordeaux and Hoffenheim came through round 1 on their first UEFA competition entries.
- Häcken previously entered as Göteborg.
- Juventus have an additional motivation to reach this season's final, with the May showpiece to be held in their men's stadium.
- Manchester City and Rosengård (as Malmö) have previously reached the semi-finals, while Breidablik, Glasgow City, Häcken (as Göteborg), Sparta and Slavia have all made the last eight in the past.
- Arsenal knocked out Slavia in the 2019/20 round of 16 with Vivianne Miedema scoring four goals in Prague and a hat-trick in the home return.
- Apollon beat Kharkiv 3-0 in the 2012/13 qualifying round in Limassol.
Season calendar
Group stage draw
13 September
Group stage
Matchday 1: 5/6 October
Matchday 2: 13/14 October
Matchday 3: 9/10 November
Matchday 4: 17/18 November
Matchday 5: 8/9 December
Matchday 6: 15/16 December
Quarter-final & semi-final draw
20 December
Quarter-finals
First leg: 22/23 March
Second leg: 30/31 March
Semi-finals
First leg: 23/24 April
Second leg: 30 April/1 May
Final (Juventus Stadium, Turin)
Date tbc