Arsenal Women’s route to the latter stages of the Champions League is now clear after the quarter-final draw set up a heavyweight London derby against Chelsea.
The play-offs have delivered their verdict. Arsenal, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Wolfsburg went through so the quarter-finals are now set.
Manchester United v FC Bayern, Real Madrid v FC Barcelona, Arsenal v Chelsea, Wolfsburg v OL Lyonnes. Four ties, a Spanish and a London derby, a UWCL classic between two giants with history in the tournament and two wannabees fighting for a semi-final spot.
Real Madrid v FC Barcelona is a classic in football. Barcelona are superior but also have squad depth problems and are threatened by injuries. Over two legs Barcelona should prevail as they have much more individual quality.
Wolfsburg v OL Lyonnes will see the sides meet for the 11th and 12th time. A UWCL classic including past finals. Lyon have made some investment, changed their manager for one who has brought new energy and are clearly there to get the trophy back after missing out for many seasons.
Manchester United v FC Bayern is a tie for the wannabe giants of women’s football in Europe. Mark Skinner’s side have improved slowly but surely through the years and are certainly capable of reaching the tournament semi-finals.
Arsenal v Chelsea, the London derby with a twist. A WSL game but with a foreign referee, it means a different way to ref the game and also VAR in play so that errors can be corrected unlike in the WSL. Chelsea’s form has been shaky this season. Arsenal have a good chance to qualify.
Also, ticketing-wise segregation will be enforced unlike in the WSL as per Chelsea: “In line with UEFA regulations, fan segregation will be in place. Arsenal have been allocated an away section, and their supporters should purchase tickets directly through Arsenal. Supporters wearing opposition colours in home areas will be denied entry.”
Here is the full quarter-finals schedule.
The road to Oslo is a long road and a potential semi-final away to Lyon would also be a tough ask, but first overcoming Chelsea will be a difficult but certainly interesting task for Renée Slegers and her team.