The first legs of the playoffs to reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League did not disappoint, with 16 goals scored across four matches this week.
Defending champions Arsenal appear to have one foot in the last eight after their 4-0 win at Oud-Heverlee Leuven, as do their fellow Women’s Super League side Manchester United following their 3-0 victory at Atlético Madrid.
Things are much tighter in the other two ties, however: Real Madrid won 3-2 at Paris FC but conceded late to give their French opponents hope of overturning the deficit, while two-time European champions VfL Wolfsburg and Juventus battled to a 2-2 draw in Germany.
Read on as ESPN experts Emily Keogh, Alex Kirkland and Connor O’Halloran offer their thoughts on some of our burning questions.
Q1: Arsenal have found form at the right time. Is it good enough to defend their UWCL title?
Keogh: Arsenal are finally starting to hit their stride after a tough start to the campaign. The reigning champions would have expected to finish in the top four of the league phase and would have planned for an easier run to the final, but some poor performances and a lack of resilience left them with a bigger task to manage.
The winter break gave players time off, allowing the coaching staff to work on some tactical tweaks, and now the side looks rejuvenated and refreshed. They’ve clawed their way back into the WSL title race, which will no doubt have built momentum heading into their playoff. There is still a hefty gap between them and WSL leaders Manchester City, but this might be a blessing in disguise if the team’s ultimate goal is defending their European crown. Another season sacrificing a domestic title might be the price to pay to retain the trophy.
Kirkland: There’s still a long way to go, and they will face much, much tougher opposition than this. But there’s no question that Arsenal are one of the teams that can win the UWCL this season. Title-winning teams tend to produce their best form between February and May, building unstoppable momentum, and over the last few weeks, the early signs are looking good for Arsenal. As Emily says, the WSL is perhaps unrealistic at this stage, so they can go all-in on the UWCL. Chelsea in the quarterfinals will be the real test.
O’Halloran: There was a time not long ago that Arsenal’s season looked like it could have been mostly over by now. As Emily wrote last month, Arsenal faced an eight-game stretch across four competitions in a spell that would define their season. Yet, they have largely passed the test. A semifinal exit from the League Cup at the hands of Manchester United was followed by lifting the inaugural FIFA Champions Cup, beating Chelsea and Manchester City to keep the WSL title race vaguely alive and all-but booking their place in the Champions League quarterfinals. Arsenal have shown in recent weeks — just like they did at the end of last season — that they can beat anyone on their day.
Q2: Real Madrid came from a goal behind to beat Paris FC. Are they finally showing an elite mentality?
Keogh: Real Madrid’s European record is a major underachievement for a side with such pedigree. They have repeatedly fallen short, never advancing beyond the quarterfinals, and much of that stems from an inability to see games out. They failed to advance past the group stage in back-to-back seasons, and last year they surrendered a 2-0 advantage in the quarterfinals, allowing Arsenal to overturn the tie and secure a 3-2 aggregate victory after the second leg.
Little suggests they have learned from those setbacks. The composure and resilience required at this level still appear to be missing. Had they avoided conceding late on, Madrid would now be in a commanding position; instead, another lapse could cost them a place in the knockouts, and they would have only themselves to blame.
To be regarded as a side with a truly elite mentality, they must demonstrate far greater grit and control. They have shown they can fight — most notably grinding out a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg with just nine players — but their recurring flaw is inconsistency. Too often, strong starts unravel through lapses in concentration, undermining the very progress they work so hard to build.
Kirkland: There was a lot to like about this Madrid performance: going a goal down early on, away from home, in the pouring rain, and having the mental strength to turn the match around. Yes, they’ll be kicking themselves for conceding that 89th-minute goal when they almost had the tie in the bag, but in previous seasons, I wouldn’t have expected Madrid to even put themselves in the position of having a dominant 3-1 lead.
Slowly but surely, Madrid are getting to where they need to be; but, of course, there’s lots of work to be done. It’s unfortunate but inevitable that they’ll always be judged by their name, and the club’s packed European trophy cabinet, rather than the relative novelty of the women’s team.
O’Halloran: There are arguments for and against, but I’d say any team that allows a late goal when winning 3-1 still has a little bit of work to do. The tired legs and minds were obvious for Maeline Mendy’s late goal which allowed Paris FC to take some hope into the second leg in Spain. There were six Madrid shirts either near or behind the ball when Paris were gifted back possession, but Madrid were far too slow to react and it cost them. Credit where it’s due to rally from a goal down, but they still face a battle to go through to the quarterfinals.
Q3: The knockout phase always bring out big performances. Who impressed you most in playoff first-leg matches?
Keogh: Jess Park has been a real game-changer for United since signing in the summer. Though she did not score, she has been a workhorse for the side and set up plenty of chances for United to take. I don’t think they’d be performing anywhere near the level they are now if she weren’t dictating the tempo and control in midfield, allowing the front line to score with ease.
Kirkland: I love watching Linda Caicedo. She’s got so much talent, and she’s increasingly the difference-maker for Real Madrid. Madrid’s second goal in Paris was a great example of her ability to pick up the ball, carry it forward, and then play the right pass, at the right time, and the third showcased her pace and clinical, cool finishing. If there’s one player you want to see with the ball at her feet, it’s Caicedo. You just know she’ll make something happen.
O’Halloran: Give Melvine Malard her flowers: What a performance she delivered in Madrid. She had a hand in all three of United’s goals — she rolled the ball to Elisabeth Terland and Julia Zigiotti Olme for their superb goals and netted one herself with a perfectly placed curling shot from the left-hand side of the 18-yard box. She has now had six goal involvements in her last four games in all competitions.
Q4: Man United are set to make the quarterfinals in their first-ever UWCL. Does their debutante status make any difference?
Keogh: A lot of people underestimated Manchester United this season. They haven’t always been close to the WSL title chasers in recent years but, having only returned to top-flight football in 2018, the fact they are now within touching distance of Champions League quarter finals is very impressive.
The underdog mentality has been effective in this competition — Arsenal won the Champions League final with little expectation of beating Barcelona — and perhaps that nothing-to-lose element of their storyline as debutants has paid off.
That is not to say they haven’t been working hard behind the scenes, but they’ve also had the benefit of the new format, which was designed to give the smaller, less experienced teams a chance. They may not have had the same success if the Swiss format had not come into play in time for their debut.
Kirkland: Caveat time: United’s opponents in this playoff, Atlético Madrid, aren’t very good. Results this year so far include a 5-0 defeat to Barcelona, and a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid. They’re fifth in the Liga F table, 23 points off the top. So I wouldn’t read too much into this 3-0 win, if I were United. But I’d also say that when I watched these two teams meet back in October, I was really quite impressed with the team, and coach Marc Skinner. They shouldn’t be held back by playing in this competition for the first time. It’s almost a free pass: go for it, with no fear.
O’Halloran: It’s haircut time at Manchester United … but not for the men’s team or The United Strand. Terland and Maya Le Tissier’s haircut celebration showed exactly how this team is feeling at the moment: United are unbeaten in all competitions since they faced Lyon in the league phase, and have won their last six games, topped off with Thursday’s perfect all-round team performance.
What’s more, that celebration came in just the third minute of the game after Terland’s superb opener. United may be embarking on their first Women’s Champions League campaign, but they do not lack confidence. Maybe the absence of any past scars is a good thing.
