and will face one another 4 instances in lower than two weeks after being drawn collectively within the Ladies’s Champions League quarter-finals.
A quirk of the fixture record means they may meet within the League Cup remaining on March 15, within the Ladies’s Tremendous League on March 23 and now in Europe both aspect of that league match. That’s 4 matches in a most of 13 days.
The Champions League was the one trophy that evaded Emma Hayes throughout her time as Chelsea supervisor and her successor, Sonia Bompastor, has the possibility to finish the membership’s anticipate a primary European title.
Ought to they handle to return by means of in opposition to Metropolis, there’s a robust chance they must beat Barcelona within the semi-finals to succeed in the ultimate in Lisbon on Could 24.
Arsenal – the third English membership within the final eight – have been drawn in opposition to Actual Madrid, with Bayern Munich and Lyon the opposite golf equipment on their aspect of the draw.
Listed below are Telegraph Sport’s predictions for the quarter-finals…
QF1: Actual Madrid v Arsenal
Winner: Arsenal
Arsenal stay the one English aspect to have received the Ladies’s Champions League, though that was again in 2007. Because the, they’ve loved a resurgent season and topped their qualifying group after beating Bayern Munich within the remaining match. Actual Madrid have been within the quarter-finals solely as soon as earlier than, in 2021-22, and have by no means performed Arsenal in a Uefa competitors. With the second leg on the Emirates, Arsenal have a very good likelihood of reaching the semi-finals.
QF2: Manchester Metropolis v Chelsea
Winner: Chelsea
Manchester Metropolis had been initially drawn in opposition to Barcelona however as a result of they confronted one another within the group phases there needed to be a redraw, which resulted on this all-English tie. Metropolis misplaced 2-0 to Chelsea within the WSL in November and, given the fixture congestion, the London membership should be the favourites to progress to the semi-finals. Bompastor’s aspect have the superior squad depth, particularly after including and through the January switch window.
QF3: Wolfsburg v Barcelona
Winner: Barcelona
Barcelona are undoubtedly the favourites to win the competitors forward of the quarter-finals, having , and want to equal Lyon’s document of three successive titles. Wolfsburg even have an unenviable document in opposition to the Catalan aspect, having misplaced within the remaining in 2023 and the semi-finals the 12 months earlier than.
QF4: Bayern Munich v Lyon
Winner: Lyon
Lyon, who’re owned by , have received the competitors a document eight instances and on the time of the draw had been seven factors clear on the prime of their home league in an unbeaten season the place they’ve drawn only one sport. The French giants additionally received all six group matches, whereas Bayern completed second of their group behind Arsenal and their hopes have been dented by a key.
