UEFA Women’s Champions League returned to action with the knockout phase playoffs, and the first-leg fixtures delivered decisive results but also left the door open for others. Defending champions Arsenal traveled to Belgium to face tournament underdog favorite OH Leuven and defeated the home side, 4-0, in a ruthless display of their recent top form. Real Madrid visited Paris FC and weathered the storm in the French capital with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory.
Wolfsburg and Juventus offered a captivating look at how anything can happen in the Champions League. Juventus, led twice, only to let victory slip in the final minutes of stoppage time, and settled for a 2-2 draw. Meanwhile, Man United cruised to a convincing 3-0 win at Atletico Madrid.
Here are some takeaways from the first-leg matches:
Arsenal’s return to form
The Gunners might be fourth on the table domestically and now contending for a spot in the UWCL quarterfinals, but they’re looking like the team that no one wants to face right now.
For Arsenal, their 4-0 win against OH Leuven was a performance that reminded everyone that they’re returning to form at the perfect moment. Despite an inconsistent league phase that kept them out of the top-four quarterfinal spots, the group also picked up a fourth consecutive clean sheet. It shows off a run of defensive prowess and clinical attacking that all but implies the title holders are peaking at the right time.
“They’re making my job so easy, man, this retirement life is great. When your old team is doing phenomenally well, they just keep winning. And look still early stages, right? We just got knockouts, but I think you guys summed it up really well, and I’m glad we get to continue the conversation, because they’re a joy to watch right now,” former Arsenal defender Jen Beattie said on CBS Sports’ post-game coverage.
“To break down a team that plays in a low block takes a lot of patience, and I think when a lot of rotations are in a squad, we spoke about this before, it’s hard to get [those] connections. And I think it was a really professional performance, and one that is really confident going back playing at the Emirates, knowing you’ve got that level of occasion.”
The blowout win by the Gunners reflected their current form and the gap between a team that’s the reigning title holders and tournament debutants. Arsenal generated 2.67 xG from 19 shots, while Leuven managed just 0.14 xG from five attempts, and a brace by Frida Maanum and relentless efforts by Olivia Smith, who also scored a goal, paced the winners.
Smith led the team with the most touches in the box (16) and a match-high five shots. She also won eight duels and completed six of 10 dribbles. Unfortunately, a late yellow card for time wasting means she’ll miss the second leg, but Arsenal look well on their way to a quarterfinal meeting against Chelsea FC.
Manager Renee Slegers’ adjustments have paid off with four consecutive wins in the Champions League, and she’ll have to make them again for the next leg.
“I’m still close with the girls still playing, and everything that you would want from a manager, I always think as a player, you just wanted to know what your role was. I think that was the key to a happy camp … When you’re playing for a top team, you never know what 11 is going to come up in the team sheet. And I generally think that competitiveness is why everyone wants to play for a top team. So it’s the communication. I think she’s [Slegers] very, very direct. I think that she doesn’t go off on tangents when players go and ask for explanations of why certain things might be happening,” said Beattie.
“The more directness that someone can tell you exactly where you stand, and I think their plans have been exceptional … They just have this versatility about them. And I think coming up to the business end of the season, as I love to call it, is where you have to be playing against so many different teams. They’re going to come at you in different ways. And to be versatile in those moments are really key. So, I think she’s used her squad phenomenally well and been direct and communication of how she’s handled every single character in there”
Real Madrid hang on for decisive game at home
If Arsenal’s display was one of successful dominance, Real Madrid’s was a nervy ride that needed resilience to get through. The Spanish side had never defeated Paris FC in Champions League competition, and it nearly looked like things were trending in history’s favor after just ten minutes when the Parisians got on the scoreboard first thanks to Kaja Korosec’s volley.
“Real Madrid showed a really good game. I think both of these teams have a lot of tenacity, and you cannot write them off. Even Paris FC getting a goal late into the match, trying to claw their way back at home, I think, gives them extra motivation, in a way,” said Darian Jenkins on CBS Sports.
“This is a team that’s never lost to Real Madrid until now, they’re gonna want that back. And I think when you’re a team like Paris FC, use that as motivation, but the game is still open. It almost feels like a draw, in a way. It doesn’t feel like a full win, just because the game was so choppy and back and forth.”
The back-and-forth continued during the match before Real Madrid leveled just before halftime, with newly appointed Scotland captain Caroline Weir tipping the momentum in Madrid’s favor. Colombian international Linda Caicedo maintained the tempo and ultimately delivered the game-winner for the visitors.
For her crucial intervention, Caicedo earned Player of the Match honors. The 20-year-old has four goal involvements in her last five tournament appearances. Her run of form is a strong example of how she’s evolving into the game-changing star that the club signed at 18. Despite Caicedo’s heroics, there was a final jolt of nerves when Paris FC’s Maeline Mendy reduced the deficit with a goal and gave the team a lifeline heading into the second leg.
“When you’re up three one, and then you get scored on the last minute of the game, you’re still winning three two. But it does feel like, ‘Oh, I didn’t, maybe I didn’t do enough.’ And I think Real Madrid might be feeling that way, but I think they also have to look at the positive side of this. They’re winning 3-2. They’re going home with an advantage. They finally broke that spell. They beat Paris FC, and they’re playing well, defensively they just have to be better,” said Janelly Farias.
“I think it’s just they’re being passive. Maybe they’re being complacent, like individually, giving the ball away, someone gets a shot from long range, like little details. I think as a defender, if that’s your primary role, you want to block the shot. You want to step to the player with the right timing. You want to not let the player turn if the cross comes in; you want to block the cross. I think it just comes down to them wanting it that much more. They have the quality, they have the talent. Now they just have to want it that much more, not just when they’re in the final third, not just when they’re attacking, but when they’re defending their own goal.”
Wolfsburg and Juventus duke it out for a draw
Juventus had a chance to deliver an upset in Germany and instead will settle for no advantage in the second leg against Wolfsburg.
The Italians took control of the game early, thanks to Ana Capeta, the club’s January signing from Benfica. A near-post finish in just her second start with the team got them going. Juventus frustrated Wolfsburg with their defensive shape, and were unafraid to get physical at times, which further annoyed the German side for large stretches of the game.
Capeta was a key component for Juventus’ successes, and played provider on the go-ahead goal just past the hour mark for Amalie Vangsgaard’s header. It was a game-stopping moment, with the home crowd at AOK Stadium going silent and upset watch was on.
Unfortunately, Juventus are no strangers to letting game leads slip away, and Wolfsburg took advantage of a game-changing moment. Janina Minge converted a penalty in the 82nd minute to cut into the deficit, and heartbreak for the Italians followed in stoppage time.
Sarai Linder nailed a world-class finish at the death, getting on the ball 20 yards out and striking a curling ball inside the far post to end the match, 2-2.
While both sides will have an even slate during the second leg, it’s hard to ignore that this was one that got away for Juventus. The Serie A side were five minutes from defeating a European giant on their own turf, and instead, they leave Germany with a draw that feels like a defeat. A missed opportunity, and they’ll have to carry the weight into Turin.
Manchester United keep putting up clean sheets
Manchester United’s defense is part of their Champions League DNA, and their first-leg knockout phase match was another reminder at Atletico Madrid’s expense.
United center back Maya Le Tisser is a major factor on the backline. Alongside centerback partner Dominique Janssen and in front of U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Phallon Tunis-Joyce, Le Tisser came up with big shot blocks in the second half to maintain United’s lead.
“Manchester United are known for their clean sheets in the WSL and the Champions League. I think the way that they’ve shot out in the top side and kept those really low scoring games has been really key to their center back painting. Of course, American [Phallon] Tullis-Joyce in the net, we love to see it, but the center back painting for me, for sure. Dominique Janssen and [Maya] Le Tisser are really key, staying connected, organizing everyone in front of them. So key for tonight,” said Beattie.
“She’s one of the most underrated center backs in European football, and I think it is because of her age and lack of caps for the Lionesses, but then you’re talking about other strong Lionesses, England internationals that play ahead of her, Alex Greenwood, Leah Williamson, players we know very well. Maya Le Tisser is that next top center back in Europe.”
