UEFA Women’s Champions League — Real Madrid prepares for match against Barcelona, ​​​​Arsenal takes on Chelsea

Title holders Arsenal and Real Madrid easily won their home games and reached the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League.

Alessia Russo scored twice on Wednesday as Arsenal beat Belgian side OH Leuven 3-1 for a 7-1 aggregate victory, setting up a quarter-final with English rivals Chelsea.

Earlier, Madrid set up a Clásico against three-time champions Barcelona by beating Paris FC 2-0 for a 5-2 aggregate victory.

Striker Naomie Feller opened the scoring for Madrid, and defender Melween N’Dongala poked through her own net.

Russo’s brace took her into a seven-goal lead in the tournament as Arsenal followed up their 4-0 away win from the first leg.

The England forward fired Arsenal ahead in the 23rd minute with a turn and first-time shot, and her second goal in the 90th was similar as she again used her strength to turn and plant a low shot into the corner.

Hungarian midfielder Sára Pusztai equalized for the visiting side in the 29th with a close-range finish at a rainy Meadow Park in Boreham Wood. Mariona Caldentey restored Arsenal’s lead midway through the second half with a penalty.

North London’s Arsenal won the tournament in 2007, when it was called the Super Cup, and are still the only English team to do so. West Londoners Chelsea reached the final once in 2021 but were defeated 4-0 as Barca won their first title.

Earlier this month, Arsenal won the first Women’s Champions Cup.

In Madrid, Paris’s case was made even more difficult when defender Théa Greboval was sent off in the fifth minute for pulling back Feller as she ran through on goal.

Yet the visiting side came close to taking the lead in the 19th minute at Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano when Océane Picard’s low shot from 20 yards was well saved by goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez.

Attacking midfielder Caroline Weir missed a chance to put Madrid ahead from the penalty spot in the 36th minute after Picard handled a cross. Goalkeeper Mylène Chavas, playing against her old club, pushed the penalty away with both hands.

Feller broke Paris’ resistance in the 54th when she smashed home from close range after a lovely cross from right-back Eva Navarro, who also scored the second goal midway through the second half when her close-range cross led to N’Dongala’s own goal.

The updated Champions League format for women follows the men’s competition, with an opening phase of the competition of six instead of eight.

The top four in the 18-team league stage – Barcelona, ​​Lyon, Chelsea and Bayern Munich – advanced directly to the quarter-finals, and the teams finishing fifth through twelfth entered the play-offs.

In Thursday’s second leg, Juventus hosts two-time champions Wolfsburg with the score 2-2, while Manchester United defends a 3-0 lead at home against Atletico Madrid.

Published on February 19, 2026