Barcelona, Lyon, and Chelsea progress to the last eight, while Arsenal and Manchester United face play-offs in Women’s Champions League.

Women’s Champions League quarter-finals

Barcelona and Chelsea have secured spots in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals following crucial wins on Wednesday, while Lyon also booked their place in the last eight.

Barcelona finished the league phase unbeaten, topping the group after a 2-0 victory over Paris FC in France. Vicky Lopez and Caroline Graham Hansen scored to seal the win. The Spanish champions, who have reached the final in each of the last five seasons, edged Lyon to first place on goal difference after both clubs ended with 16 points.

Lyon thrashed Atletico Madrid 4-0, with captain Wendie Renard scoring a penalty and Kadidiatou Diani, Korbin Shrader, and an own goal from Vilde Boe Risa completing the rout. Atletico were reduced to 10 players during the match.

Chelsea came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 2-1, with Alexandra Popp opening the scoring for the Germans before Lucy Bronze and Sam Kerr secured the victory for the Blues, sending them directly to the quarter-finals.

Bayern Munich claimed the final automatic quarter-final spot after a 3-0 win over Valerenga, narrowly edging Arsenal and Manchester United by a single point. Olivia Smith and Beth Mead scored for Arsenal in a 3-0 win over Leuven, with Saar Janssen adding an own goal, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the play-offs. Manchester United beat Juventus 1-0 through Jess Park’s finish, also entering the play-offs.

This season’s format mirrors the men’s competition, with the top four teams from the league phase qualifying directly for the quarter-finals, while teams finishing fifth to twelfth enter the play-off round.

The knockout phase draw will take place on Thursday, setting the stage for an exciting last eight in the Women’s Champions League.