The inaugural league phase of the 2025-26 UEFA Women’s Champions League is nearly over, and it has delivered on its promise of elevated stakes matches through expanded competition. After Matchday 5, the knockout playoff picture is coming into view, and traditional powerhouses are making statements along the way, while other clubs are hopeful to make tournament history.
The penultimate round of the league phase was capped off by stellar individual performances. Serie A side Juventus secured qualification with a statement, 5-0, win against St. Polten, with captain Cristiana Girelli leading the charge by converting two penalties. Reigning title holders Arsenal are quietly making their return to the knockout rounds thanks to the help of Beth Mead. She delivered the lone goal against Twente and secured the defending champions’ place in the next phase.
As the tournament league phase reaches its end, there are still loose ends that need to be tied. While the quarterfinals and playoff puzzle still have some pieces missing, anything can happen with hope for plenty of teams as the new format heads to matchday six.
Here’s everything you need to know from matchday five:
UWCL Scores
Tuesday’s results
- St. Pölten 0, Juventus 5
- Real Madrid 2, VfL Wolfsburg 0
- Arsenal 1, FC Twente 0
- Paris Saint-Germain 0, OH Leuven Women 0
Wednesday’s results
- Chelsea FC 6, Roma, 0
- FC Barcelona 3, SL Benfica 1
- OL Lyonnes 3, Manchester United 0
- Atlético Madrid 2, Bayern München 2
- Paris FC 1, Vålerenga 0
UWCL Table
| Position | Team | MP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Barcelona | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | +15 | 13 |
| 2 | OL Lyonnais | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | +9 | 13 |
| 3 | Chelsea FC | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | +16 | 11 |
| 4 | Juventus | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +6 | 10 |
| 5 | Real Madrid | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +6 | 10 |
| 6 | Bayern Munich | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | -3 | 10 |
| 7 | VfL Wolfsburg | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | +4 | 9 |
| 8 | Arsenal | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | +2 | 9 |
| 9 | Manchester United | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 9 |
| 10 | Paris FC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 8 |
| 11 | Atlético Madrid | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +8 | 7 |
| 12 | Oud-Heverlee Leuven | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | -2 | 6 |
| 13 | Vålerenga Oslo | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 4 |
| 14 | FC Twente Enschede | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -6 | 2 |
| 15 | SL Benfica Lisbon | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -7 | 1 |
| 16 | Paris Saint-Germain | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -8 | 1 |
| 17 | AS Roma | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -15 | 1 |
| 18 | SKN St. Pölten | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -20 | 1 |
FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes top teams in the hunt
Two teams sealed their place directly in the quarterfinal round in FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes. The two squads have flexed their Champions League muscles over the previous matchdays and showed other tournament opposition exactly who they are.
The Catalonian side had to manage an injury blow as they’ll now be without Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati for the next five months due to a broken left fibula. The group rose to the occasion with plenty of key players stepping up.
Alexia Putellas missed her second penalty of the league phase, but the midfielder still led the squad in total shots (eight), and Caroline Graham Hansen showed once again why she’ll still be a contender for end-of-season awards. The Blaugrana won’t slow down ahead of the quarterfinals.
Champions League icons OL Lyonnes are doing everything they can to not only rival Barcelona and make their own individual statements along the way. Haitian international Melchie Dumornay officially enters the Ballon d’Or chatter after a spectacular run of form in the tournament. She opened the league phase with a brace against Arsenal and added another to her resume against Manchester United to help the French giants return to the quarterfinals.
The Liga F showcase
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid look primed for the next phase of the Champions League. While there’s plenty of attention on FC Barcelona for their talent and history of success, other Liga F clubs are playing like they have something to prove this tournament.
Real Madrid’s progression was crafted by an electric performance by Colombian international Linda Caicedo. She covered plenty of ground and was often the creative channel for the Madristas throughout their 2-0 win against Wolfsburg; her insurance goal and three shots on target earned her player of the game honors.
Atletico Madrid kept their knockout playoff phase dreams alive with a thrilling come-from-behind win against Bayern Munich. The squad stole all of Bayern’s momentum, and Flamma Benitez channeled it into an equalizer.
PSG embarassing exit
The flip side of the league phase coming to a close is that some Champions League journeys come to an end. The most seismic elimination belongs to Paris Saint-Germain. Once perennial contenders, the former French titans were bounced from the competition after failing to win any of their five league phase games. Despite a hard-fought draw against tournament debutants OH Leuven, it wasn’t enough to keep their Champions League campaign alive.
They are joined by the Netherlands FC Twente, and Austria’s SKN St. Polten, and all three teams will officially say farewell after Matchday 6.
Next round
The final games will be a seeding scenario with plenty of quarterfinal spots and knockout phase playoff places up for grabs. The final round of the league phase will conclude on Dec. 17 with all nine matches kicking off at the same time.
