Wolfsburg Women

Holders Barca saw their run of 45 successive wins come to an end in Saturday's 2-0 semi-final second-leg defeat to Wolfsburg, but they still advanced 5-3 on aggregate.

The Catalan club are into their third final in four seasons and will be looking to retain the trophy they won for a first time last year when they take on Lyon in Turin on May 21.

Lyon, who with seven titles are the most successful side in the competition's history, beat domestic rivals Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the second leg to win the tie 5-3 on aggregate.

That match at the Parc des Princes was watched by 43,254, a record for a women's club game in France.

Barca recently set the record for the highest attendance for a women's club game with 91,648 in attendance for the first leg of the Wolfsburg semi-final.

And Bacha believes Barca deserve huge credit for helping to lift the women's game both on and off the field.

"They are helping European football evolve. They play in a similar way to the men's team and are an example to the rest of women's football," she said.

"When you hear 'Barcelona versus Lyon in the final', it sounds great. I hope there are going to be a lot of fans who come. And we'll do all we can to win it."

Lyon have lost only three of their last 44 Women's Champions League matches and have only failed to score in one of their last 36 European games.

Ada Hegerberg opened the scoring for the French side on Saturday with a record-extending 58th goal in the Women's Champions League, and had another ruled out.

Marie-Antoinette Katoto gave PSG hope when scrambling in, but Wendie Renard made sure of progression for Lyon.

"We wanted to come to Paris in an attacking frame of mind," Lyon forward Hegerberg said. "The atmosphere was magnificent. It was a great evening of football. 

"We have to keep going as we are. It's not over, but it's great what we've done. I'm proud of the girls. It was tough. We're going to prepare for the final."

An impressive fightback from 2-0 down gave Arsenal plenty of reason to be buoyant about their chances for the May 1 second leg at Emirates Stadium.

With ACL victims Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson absent, the weakened Gunners gave a strong account of themselves after a slow start in Germany.

Ewa Pajor put the hosts ahead and Sveindis Jonsdottir fired Wolfsburg two clear in the 24th minute after a defensive aberration from the Gunners, with a misunderstanding in the penalty area presenting the Icelandic forward with an easy chance in front of goal.

Arsenal snatched a lifeline through Rafaelle Souza's header just before half-time, and Stina Blackstenius tucked in an equaliser from close range in the 69th minute.

Player of the match Beattie told uefa.com: "I think the team showed unbelievable character to come back from a two-goal deficit. We're pleased with the result, but it's very much half-time for us. We're looking forward to going back to the Emirates next week with a blank slate."

Wolfsburg edged the expected goals (xG) totals by 2.32 to 1.40, having 12 shots to seven from Arsenal, but the teams are level-pegging and defender Beattie put that down to the WSL team's resilience.

"We've shown that this whole season – the character, the mentality we all have, and the genuine belief we all have between players," said the 31-year-old Scot.

"We're really happy that we came back from 2-0 down: that's a huge feat, especially against a side as good as Wolfsburg. We had the ultimate respect for them and we still do going into the second leg."

Arsenal are hoping for a sell-out for the second leg, as they bid to move a step nearer to becoming European club champions for a second time, having triumphed in 2007.

Beattie spoke of enjoying "incredible" atmospheres when Arsenal Women have played at the club's main stadium previously, adding: "Even the away fans that travelled today have been unbelievable, especially hearing them towards the end of the game. I've no doubt they'll be unbelievable again for us next week."

Wolfsburg head coach Tommy Stroot sensed a chance missed, regretting the goals his team conceded.

He said: "We knew that it would be a close game, and our 2-0 lead flattered us a bit. We were very clinical at the start. The goals we conceded came from a set-piece and a counter-attack, which we should be able to deal with."

Runners-up to Lyon last year, a fourth successive victory in this season's competition would have seen Emma Hayes' side through Group A with two games to spare.

However, they were forced to settle for a point at Estadio Alfredo di Stefano after Guro Reiten's penalty, which cannoned in off goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez, cancelled out an earlier effort from Caroline Weir.

Paris Saint-Germain leapfrogged Madrid to second place in Group A following a commanding 4-0 victory over Vllaznia, whose elimination was subsequently confirmed.

Kadidiatou Diani scored twice while Ramona Bachmann and Magnaba Folquet were also on target for PSG, who will be through with victory over Madrid when they clash at Parc des Princes next week. 

Elsewhere, two-time champions Wolfsburg are the first side through to this season's quarter-finals after an entertaining 4-2 win over Roma.

Ewa Pajor's brace, which took her group-stage tally to six goals, sandwiched strikes from SveindIs Jonsdottir and Lena Lattwein, ensuring efforts from Andressa Alves Da Silva and Sophie Roman Haug were merely consolations for Roma.

The German side's 11th last-eight appearance in as many continental campaigns was confirmed after St Polten failed to beat Slavia Praha in the other Group B encounter.

The Czech outfit netted their first goal of the campaign through Kristyna Ruzickova, but Mateja Zver's free-kick means they can no longer qualify for the knockout phase.

Emma Hayes' team knew a draw would suffice as they targeted first place on Thursday, but they ultimately enjoyed a routine outing as James added to Sam Kerr's first-half stunner.

Kerr fired into the top-right corner from 20 yards out to hand Chelsea the lead, before James added two well-taken finishes as the Blues finished their group-stage campaign with an unbeaten record.

In the group's other game, Real Madrid bowed out on a positive note as Teresa Abelleira scored twice in a 5-1 rout of Vllaznia, with Scotland international Caroline Weir also on the scoresheet.

In Group B, meanwhile, two-time champions Wolfsburg clinched top spot by thrashing Austrian side St Polten 8-2 away from home, with eight different players netting for the visitors.

Roma will join Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals after wrapping up their campaign with a 3-0 victory at Slavia Praha, with Valentina Giacinti, Beata Kollmats and Elena Linari scoring as the Italians finished one point behind the German giants.

Emma Hayes' Blues sealed their place in the last eight with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Albanian outfit Vllaznia, with goals for Sophie Ingle, Fran Kirby, Katerina Svitkova and Maren Mjelde.

That proved enough to secure top spot in Group A as they qualified for the knockout rounds with a game to spare alongside PSG, at Madrid's expense.

Elisa de Almeida and Kadidiatou Diani struck to help the French side inflict a 2-1 loss upon Las Blancas, with Claudia Zornoza's late effort in vain as they crashed out of Europe.

Elsewhere, doubles for Benedetta Glionna and Manuela Giugliano saw Roma cruise past St Polten in a 5-0 rout after shrugging off an early weather delay.

That also saw the Italian side through to the quarter-finals, though they may have to settle for second in Group B, with Wolfsburg still at the summit despite a goalless draw with Slavia Prague.

The Germany striker found the net six times throughout the tournament as Die Nationalelf finished as runners-up to Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses, finishing as joint-top scorer with England's Beth Mead, though Mead won the award after recording more assists.

Popp, who has been with Wolfsburg since 2012, has lifted 18 domestic and three European titles during her career, but missed Germany's 2-1 Wembley final defeat last month after getting injured in the warm-up.

She became the first player to score in five consecutive games at a Women's Euros by helping herself to a brace in Germany's semi-final win over France, later being named in the team of the tournament.

Popp, who had just one year to run on her previous deal, told the club's website: "I'm very pleased to be held in such high esteem and I'm extremely happy at VfL Wolfsburg.

"When I look back on the last few years, it's clear I'm at the best club in Germany. I can also see the outstanding quality in our team. It's great fun for me to perform with these girls on and off the pitch and to fight for more silverware."

Wolfsburg finished four points clear of Bayern Munich to win the domestic title last season, and were beaten by eventual champions Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Women's Champions League.

The 2021-22 runners-up Barcelona will take on Roma in the last eight, while Paris Saint-Germain play Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich come up against Arsenal.

The first legs are scheduled for March 21 and 22, with the return fixtures a week later.

The semi-final draw was also made on Friday, with the winners of PSG and Wolfsburg set to face the winners of Bayern and Arsenal, while the winners of Lyon and Chelsea will go up against the winners of Barca and Roma.

Eindhoven will host the final on June 3.

In San Sebastian, France forward Le Sommer snatched the opening goal, with Japanese midfielder Saki Kumagai and former Wolfsburg player Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir also scoring.

Eleven days after the Lyon men's team bowed out to Bayern Munich in their Champions League semi-final, Europe's most powerful women's side lifted the trophy they have made their own.

Le Sommer's 22nd-minute strike, tucking home after her first shot was parried, moved the 31-year-old above Brazilian Marta to fourth on the list of the Women's Champions League all-time top scorers with 47 goals.

Since joining Lyon in 2010, Le Sommer has been involved in all seven of the club's Champions League triumphs.

Kumigai drove in Lyon's second after 44 minutes, a left-footed blast from 22 yards finding the bottom right corner, before Wolfsburg found hope when Alex Popp headed in from close range.

But Gunnarsdottir had the final say against the club she left for Lyon at the beginning of July, netting an 89th-minute clincher.

Lyon's England defender Lucy Bronze, who has been linked with a return to Manchester City in the near future, said the outcome of the final was never in doubt.

Lyon were not at full strength for the final, with Ada Hegerberg, who scored a hat-trick against Barcelona in last year's final, among those missing.

Bronze, quoted on UEFA.com, said: "People said it was the best time to play us because we were missing so many players but we were the best side in the first half by a long shot and the game was almost finished at half-time. We've definitely got the strongest squad in the world."

The Norwegian curled home after 28 minutes in France to hand the Blues a 1-0 lead ahead of the reverse fixture in London.

Lyon were guilty of missing a number of opportunities in the first half, although Lauren James could have added a second for Chelsea when she hit the post.

Delphine Cascarino similarly struck the woodwork for Lyon after half-time, with the eight-time champions now needing a turnaround in the second leg if their title defence is to continue.

This has already been a spectacular year for the women's game in Europe, with Euro 2022 a roaring success, but the club game is going from strength to strength, too.

The continent's biggest clubs are throwing their support behind women's teams, and although this means some early adopters are being squeezed out, the Champions League is growing in quality and professionalism year by year. This is the second year that has featured a group stage, another sign of progress.

Here, Stats Perform looks at the 2022-23 tournament and its rich promise, with 16 teams vying to reach the final at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven in June.

Before the rise of the Lionesses, there was Lyon... and they are the UWCL queens

French club Lyon have set a high bar with their support and investment in women's football, led by owner Jean-Michel Aulas.

Their first Champions League title came in 2010-11, and last season they landed the trophy for an eighth time with a 3-1 triumph against Barcelona in Turin.

Barcelona headed into that May showpiece in imperious form, but Lyon led 3-0 inside 33 minutes. Putellas pulled one goal back, but it was not to be her day, or Barcelona's.

Instead, Lyon were celebrating, and perhaps nobody more so than Ada Hegerberg, their star Norwegian striker. Battling her way back to full fitness after a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament kept her sidelined for over 18 months, Hegerberg had a goal and an assist in the final.

"I couldn't imagine winning the Champions League a year ago," Hegerberg said that night. "Coming back from injury and getting back to this level is extremely inspiring and I am very grateful."

Now Putellas faces a similar journey. The Barcelona and Spain star, recognised as the world's best player, sustained a major ACL injury on the eve of Euro 2022, and if she plays again this season it will not be until the closing weeks.

Contenders queueing up

Expect Lyon to be strong again of course, but they start with a major test against Arsenal, who have Euro 2022 Golden Ball winner and Ballon d'Or runner-up Beth Mead in their ranks.

Arsenal, of course, have a power couple on and off the pitch in Mead and the brilliant Vivianne Miedema, so Jonas Eidevall's side could push Lyon for top spot in Group C, which also includes Juventus and Zurich.

Of course, such star players may see this competition as a chance to stake a claim for next year's Ballon d'Or.

Barcelona are much changed from last season, with the likes of Jenni Hermoso, Lieke Martens and Melanie Serrano no longer a part of their team. Hermoso and Martens moved on, to Pachuca and Paris Saint-Germain respectively, while Serrano retired at the age of 32, having been a first-team regular since her late teens.

Brazil striker Geyse has joined from Madrid CFF, while Euro 2022 winners Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh arrived from Manchester City. The loss of Putellas is a big blow, and how Barcelona cope without her against Europe's elite will be a key narrative of the coming months. Bayern Munich, Rosenborg and Benfica are their Group D rivals.

Chelsea were runners-up in 2020-21 but last season saw Emma Hayes' team eliminated on goal difference at the group stage, after they and top two Wolfsburg and Juventus finished tied on 11 points. Hayes is taking time away after undergoing an emergency hysterectomy. The Blues, who have Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby, Millie Bright and Pernille Harder among a star-packed squad, face Real Madrid, PSG and Vllaznia in Group A.

Wolfsburg are hardy perennials of the Women's Champions League and won the trophy back to back in 2012-13 and 2013-14, also finishing runners-up three times. They face Slavia Prague, St Polten and Roma in Group B. With Alexandra Popp fighting fit after the injury that prevented her facing England in the Euro 2022 final, and Lena Oberdorf patrolling midfield, Wolfsburg may not be far away again this season.

Story so far

Manchester City and Real Madrid went head-to-head early in the qualifying stage, and it was City that were squeezed out, losing 1-0 thanks to a goal from Caroline Weir, a player who left the English club to move to the Spanish capital just weeks earlier.

Hopes of a Dutch team reaching the Eindhoven final have already been dashed, with Ajax and Twente eliminated in the preliminaries. Arsenal edged out Ajax 3-2 on aggregate, with Miedema getting the deciding goal, while Twente were ousted by Benfica.

The make-up of this competition has changed immensely over the course of the last 20 years, reflecting the rise of teams being backed by traditionally strong men's clubs.

In 2002-03, the quarter-final line-up consisted of Umea, Toulouse, HJK, Frankfurt, SK Trondheims-Orn, Fortuna Hjorring, CSK VVS Samara and Arsenal.

Swedish side Umea crushed Fortuna Hjorring 7-1 on aggregate in a two-leg final of what was then known as the UEFA Women's Cup.

In name and character, it emphatically belongs to the Champions League family of competitions now, many of the teams that defined its early days no longer a factor. Women's football has gone big-time, and this season's competition should underline that message.