Women's Champions League: What to watch out for in the quarter-final second legs

The UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-finals conclude on Wednesday and Thursday. We look at the key storylines as the Lisbon final comes a step closer.

Lyon vs Bayern München (first leg: 2-0)

Lyon have gone through from 13 of their 15 previous quarter-finals and goals from Tabitha Chawinga and Melchie Dumornay in the first leg have put them in pole position to get to a 14th semi (no other club has got to more than eight).

For Bayern, who had won every game they had played in 2025 before this first leg, the highlight was undoubtably just before half-time. Lindsey Heaps' penalty was saved by Maria Luisa Grohs, making her first senior competitive appearance in goal since being diagnosed with a malignant tumour in November.

Pernille Harder, still the competition top scorer on six goals, provided a threat for Bayern, and she will be as determined as anyone to turn the tie, having previously suffered four Champions League exits (including two final defeats) against Lyon while with Wolfsburg. Harder showed her ability to conjure a comeback on Saturday, with a hat-trick to ensure Bayern recovered from two down to beat Hoffenheim 3-2 in the German Cup semi-finals.

 Arsenal vs Real Madrid (first leg: 0-2)

Madrid's only previous quarter-final in 2021/22 resulted in home and away defeats to Barcelona, but goals from Linda Caicedo and Athenea del Castillo gave them victory against an Arsenal side who, like Lyon, are at this stage for a joint-record 16th time. Caicedo, Signe Bruun (who got the winner in a 2020 quarter-final for Paris Saint-Germain against Arsenal) and former Gunner Caroline Weir all impressed for Madrid.

As for Arsenal, they now have a big task if they are to make an eighth semi-final. Still, the last time they were at this stage they lost an away first leg, 1-0 at Bayern, and prevailed 2-0 at home in the return. The Gunners are also the only club to go through in a UEFA women's club quarter-final after losing the first leg by more than one goal, against Torres Terra Sarda in 2004/05.

After bouncing back from losing 5-2 at Bayern on Matchday 1 this season to top their group ahead of the German side, the Gunners are clearly a side who cannot be written off.

 Barcelona vs Wolfsburg (first leg: 4-1)

Barcelona were at their brilliant best in the first leg, Caroline Graham Hansen (one of four former Wolfsburg players in the Blaugrana squad) commanding and a further late highlight coming when teenager Sydney Schertenleib coolly registered her first Champions League goal.

They are seeking to set a new record by reaching a seventh consecutive semi-final (even Lyon have never managed more than six in as many seasons) and Barcelona underlined their ambition to make it three titles in a row (something only OL have previously achieved).

Wolfsburg will be hoping for a comeback to rival the one that they suffered at the hands of Barcelona in the 2023 Eindhoven final (when the German side led 2-0 at the break but ultimately lost 3-2).

Chelsea vs Manchester City (first leg: 0-2)

Just like their London rivals Arsenal, Chelsea must overturn a 2-0 deficit in their home leg, with Manchester City coming to Stamford Bridge after Vivianne Miedema came off the bench to score twice and end Sonia Bompastor's 28-game unbeaten start as Blues coach. It was only City's second fixture under their interim boss Nick Cushing, who returned earlier this month having previously managed the cub from 2013 to 2020, leading them to both their previous Champions League semi-finals in 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Cushing's comeback had been four days earlier when City lost 2-1 to Chelsea in the English League Cup final, and the teams meet again in the Women's Super League on Sunday before their European rematch. City's win was even more impressive in the absence of the injured Khadija Shaw, Aoba Fujino, Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood.

However, Chelsea (who have got through all five of their previous Champions League quarter-finals) might note that in the group stage, City opened by beating Barcelona 2-0, then on Matchday 6 lost the away return 3-0 to end up second on head-to-head record. Bompastor, when she won this trophy as Lyon coach in 2021/22, also had to overturn a first-leg deficit in the quarter-finals, losing 2-1 at Juventus before a 3-1 home win.

Highlights: Man City 2-0 Chelsea

Where is the 2025 UEFA Women's Champions League final being played?



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Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon will stage the 2025 UEFA Women's Champions League final on Saturday 24 May.

The home of Sporting CP opened in 2003 ahead of UEFA EURO 2004 in Portugal, replacing another stadium of the same name. It hosted a semi-final of that tournament, among other games, and was the venue for the UEFA Cup decider the following year.

The 2025 final will be the second Women's Champions League showpiece to be held in Lisbon after 2014, when Estádio do Restelo staged Wolfsburg's 4-3 win against Tyresö.