UEFA Women's Champions League: Players to watch on Matchday 4

As the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage moves into its second half with three games in three weeks, we profile four goalkeepers with important roles at clubs seeking quarter-final slots.

Ann-Katrin Berger (Chelsea)

Berger missed the start of the season after the recurrence of the thyroid cancer first diagnosed in 2017 but returned to playing in late September and has been as reliable as ever.

Chelsea are yet to concede, and Berger was between the sticks for the crucial wins against her former club Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid that have left the Blues in sight of the quarter-finals. Another such display in Madrid on Thursday would ensure no repeat of Chelsea's group exist last season.

Maria-Luisa Grohs (Bayern)

Berger is not the only German goalkeeper with a double-barrelled forename impressing in this group stage. The 21-year-old Grohs has been a senior Bayern regular for the first time this season, promoted ahead of Janina Leitzig as Laura Benkarth continued her recovery from injury.

Benkarth is back in the squad but right now Grohs remains the starter, coach Alexander Straus saying: "We are very happy with Mala, who has done very well." On Matchday 3, Grohs gained experience in front of a group-stage record crowd at Camp Nou and on Wednesday looks set to start at Fußball Arena München in a game against Barcelona where Bayern have a chance to prove their title credentials.

Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (Juventus)

As if the stakes were not high enough in Group C, the two remaining Juventus away games take Peyraud-Magnin back to two former clubs: Arsenal and Lyon. The Gunners come first on Wednesday, Peyraud-Magnin having been a key part of Arsenal's last league title win in 2018/19 under Joe Montemurro, who made the French goalkeeper one of his first signings when he took over at Juve in 2021.

Peyraud-Magnin made crucial saves when Juventus drew with Arsenal on Matchday 3, but they remain two points behind their hosts in London and as Lyon are now within one of the Italian champions, there will be no room for error against the Gunners' depleted but still stellar attack.

Misa Rodríguez (Real Madrid)

María Isabel Rodríguez ('Misa' for short) was one of the players snapped up when Real Madrid officially formed their first squad in 2020 and she has been a crucial part of the team that has quickly established itself as a European force, making the quarter-finals last season.

She has kept that up this term, having conceded only one goal in six European games (with clean sheets against the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain) before the 2-0 loss at Chelsea last time out. That defeat left Madrid behind Paris on goal difference in Group A, and they will be relying on Misa to shut out Chelsea on Thursday, with the potentially decisive trip to Parc des Princes following only eight days later.