The 2025-26 UEFA Women’s Champions League returns with quarterfinal action on Wednesday and Thursday. The second legs of the quarterfinals will pit domestic rivals against each other in quarterfinal sequels and set the stage for possible tournament upsets.
Arsenal will visit Chelsea with a 3-1 goal advantage in the second leg, while Wolfsburg carry a one-goal lead over eight-time Champions League winners OL Lyonnes. Quarterfinal debutants Manchester United are hopeful of making history and overcoming a 3-2 deficit against Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, FC Barcelona are on the cusp of another Champions League semifinal after defeating domestic rivals Real Madrid 6-2 during their first leg meeting.
Here’s what’s at stake:
How to watch
Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network will each be a one-stop shop for the second leg of the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals, with both platforms simulcasting all coverage and every minute of the action. Coverage will begin with a new edition of the UEFA Women’s Champions League Today pre-match show before the early match, while studio coverage resumes in between matches and concludes with the post-match show to recap the action on Wednesday and Thursday.
Quarterfinal first-leg results
All times U.S./Eastern
Tuesday, March 24
- Wolfsburg 1, OL Lyonnes 0
- Arsenal 3, Chelsea 1
Wednesday, March 25
- Real Madrid 2, Barcelona 6
- Manchester United 2, Bayern Munich 3
Quarterfinal second leg schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
Wednesday, April 1
Thursday, April 2
Storylines for UWCL quarterfinals
Chelsea try to bounce back against Arsenal: Arsenal head across town and will try to finish the job against Chelsea as they continue their title defense.
Despite a strong start against the Gunners and a world-class goal by Lauren James, Arsenal are doing what they do best in the tournament, and that’s staying in form at the right time. The two sides might have a history of rivalry on the domestic front, but it’s Arsenal who hold the bragging rights in the Champions League.
For fans of the U.S. women’s national team, it’ll be a clash of Americans with Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson on Chelsea, going up against Emily Fox with Arsenal.
FC Barcelona on cruise control? The former title winners are expecting 52,000 supporters at Camp Nou to see them clinch another UWCL semifinal spot and squash Real Madrid’s dreams. Barcelona holds a four-goal advantage along with the home-field support, and multiple players who can take over the game from Alexia Putellas to Patri Guajirro, or even next-gen talents in Vicky Lopez.
There’s always hope, but Real Madrid need that with a sprinkling of a miracle this week.
Can Wolfsburg upset OL Lyonnes? The German side took the game to OL Lyonnes last week, leaving the perennial contenders searching for answers. Even more impressive than getting the win was keeping OL forward Melchie Dumornay off the scoresheet.
Still, this is the Champions League. It’s one thing to have a nearly perfect performance once, but another thing to do that twice. If Lineth Beerensteyn can get on the scoreboard again for Wolfsburg, they’ll have a good chance to pull off the upset.
