The UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage is over and we finally have our quarterfinalists. The final match day of the group stages was pretty straightforward but there was some level of suspense with Group C’s second-place team yet to be decided.
Lyon and Juventus went into their clash knowing that a positive result would take either team through. With Arsenal having sealed their fate as group winners it was left to the French and Italian champions to battle it out. Before we round up each group, it only makes sense to start with the highly anticipated Group C.
Below are the teams who have advanced to the quarterfinals.
Group A: Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain
Group B: Wolfsburg, Roma
Group C: Arsenal, Lyon
Group D: Barcelona, Bayern München
Group C
Lyon eventually secured their safe passage through to the quarterfinals at the expense of Juventus, after the pair drew 0-0 at the Groupama Stadium. The game presented few chances and the lack of a natural killer instinct left both teams wanting more.
Lyon have been the biggest surprise of the season because of their general performance levels and thrashing at the hands of Arsenal on Match Day 1 losing 5-1. However, their improvement has come by gaining key players back and the game against Juventus saw many of them return. Amel Majri and Sara Dabritz were on the bench while Amandine Henry started the game. Ellie Carpenter has rejoined training and looks set to come into contention by mid to late January.
For Lyon, qualification was extremely important given that they’re likely to be a completely different outfit come the quarterfinals in March. However, Juventus did create some chances and threatened to possibly spoil the party but they weren’t as clinical and faded as the game wore on. The end result was fair with the lack of attacking intensity which meant Lyon go through in second place.
First place in Group C however went to Arsenal thanks to an enthralling 9-1 win in Zurich. A Frida Mannum hat-trick, braces from Stina Blackstenius and Caitlin Foord and goals from Kim Little and Mana Iwabuchi ensured the Gunners comfortably claimed the top spot. Arsenal set the tone from day one beating Lyon emphatically and will go into the next round knowing they have beaten the reigning European champions.
Winner: Lyon — The reigning champions needed to come through this game with the pressure on to qualify and they did the job. The experience they possess helped them through and ensured they got through with a point. While still not at their absolute best, they will have time to come back stronger and make more of an impact come March.
It's time to vote for your #UWCL Goal of the Group Stage 
Pick your winner now #UWCLGOTGS // @Heineken— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) December 26, 2022
Group A
Group A consisted of another three top-quality teams in Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Though Real Madrid were out of the running for second place, it was a place for top spot that needed settling with PSG needing to win by a two-goal margin without a reply to have any hope. However, Chelsea ran riot without getting out of third gear thanks to a Lauren James brace and Sam Kerr belter. The Parisians seemed confused in their style of play compared to their lineup and reverted to a more appropriate setup with Lieke Martens and Laurina Fazer coming off for former Chelsea star Ramona Bachmann and Keira Hamraoui.
Lauren James scored her first two Champions League goals as they cruised to top spot in front of their record European crowd at Stamford Bridge of 10,000-plus. In the end, Chelsea remained one of two unbeaten teams of the UWCL group stages and will be in full confidence going into the next round.
Real Madrid eased into a 5-1 victory against Albanian side Vllaznia, but not before their historic first goal in their inaugural tournament appearance. They showed glimpses of potential but ultimately failed to really trouble Chelsea or Paris and ended up in third.
Winner: Chelsea — The English champions were unbeaten scoring 19 goals in the process. They made sure to not allow complacency to creep in and avoid a repeat of last season’s group stage knockout. Beating Paris and Real Madrid was a statement of intent and will be excited to play in the quarterfinals. Emma Hayes’ star players look to have finally come good with Kerr, Guro Reiten and James showing exactly why they’re elite-level players with some exquisite goals.
What a talent 
#UWCL // @ChelseaFCW pic.twitter.com/I55xWgV39U
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) December 22, 2022
#UWCL // @ChelseaFCW pic.twitter.com/I55xWgV39U— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) December 22, 2022
Group B
This group was arguably the most straightforward of the four groups with AS Roma and Wolfsburg as clear favorites for the top and it certainly ended that way. The two teams battled their way to top spot giving fans an entertaining encounter between them in both ties. Wolfsburg secured top spot with a thrashing of St. Polten, 8-2, away from home.
Roma rounded off their maiden group campaign with an impressive victory against Slavia Praha. The debutants were already sure of a quarterfinal place in second, but requiring a win for their slim hopes of topping Group B they needed to ensure victory. A 3-0 win in Prague was enough on their part and showed confidence in their play. Wolfsburg and Roma ended on 14 and 13 points respectively with St. Polten and Slavia Praha on 4 and 3 points each.
Wolfsburg will certainly pose a major threat to their quarter-final opposition and given the level of quality they have, they aren’t too far away frompossibly reaching yet another final. Tabea Waßmuth, Svenja Huth, Alexandra Popp and Lena Oberdorf are giants in the European game and will take some stopping.
Winner: Roma — The Italian team secured qualification in their maiden Champions League campaign and they did so in some style. They’ll be happy with what they produced and will probably be the one team everyone wants to draw but Roma will be a threat. They did become the feel-good team of the group stages.
@ASRomaWomen Quarter-finals:
#UWCL pic.twitter.com/5CKFRrMEBa— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) December 22, 2022
Group D
Another group where the top two spots were virtually guaranteed with the presence of Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The two teams played out some of the best football of the group stages specifically Bayern’s 3-1 win over the Catalan side. Those games exposed some vulnerabilities but realistically we’ll be seeing a much improved Barcelona side come March.
A comfortable 6-0 victory over Rosengard meant they kept top spot and went through. Barcelona’s dominance looks set to continue and it will take a monumental performance to beat them again. Can anyone stop the Spanish giants?
Bayern Munich seemed to have found the answer and look to be a major player in the race for the UWCL crown. Whoever draws the German side will have their hands full with Klara Bühl, Sydney Lohmann, and Georgia Stanway to name a few performing extremely well.
Winner: Sydney Lohmann — The German midfielder spent a major portion of last season injured and was unable to show her true potential. However, her cameos at the European Championships over the summer showed us why she’s so highly rated and now with a good number of minutes under her belt, we’re seeing the best version of the box-to-box midfielder. A powerful presence in both boxes, Lohmann was vital to their dominant performance against Barcelona marking out Patri Guijarro and Keira Walsh. She will be one to watch.
Ultimately, Chelsea and Wolfsburg ended the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage with the only unbeaten records but Bayern, Barcelona, Wolfsburg and Arsenal showed their class and impressed. The quality of teams going into the final eight teams is some of the best we’ve ever seen and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to call a winner. Who will come out on top and advance to the semifinals will be interesting but regardless of the draw, we’re promised some high-quality matchups.
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