Women's Champions League round 2: Paris FC stun Wolfsburg, Paris Saint-Germain beat Man United to join Frankfurt, Roma, Benfica and Ajax in group stage
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
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Paris FC eliminated Wolfsburg and Paris Saint-Germain knocked out Man United as the group stage line-up was confirmed.
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The UEFA Women's Champions League group stage line-up has been confirmed with Paris FC and Paris Saint-Germain both among the round 2 winners along with Ajax, Benfica, Brann, Eintracht Frankfurt, Häcken, Real Madrid, Roma, Rosengård, St. Pölten and Slavia Praha.
Holders Barcelona, Bayern München, Chelsea and record eight-time champions Lyon were already automatically through to the group stage. The draw is at 13:00 CET on Friday and the first matches on 14 and 15 November.
Who is in the Women's Champions League group stage?
The holders and the champions of the three highest-ranked associations (France, Germany and Spain) enter in the group stage. As Barcelona are both title holders and champions of Spain, the champions of the fourth-ranked association (England) also enter in the group stage.
Barcelona (ESP, holders), Lyon (FRA), Bayern München (GER), Chelsea (ENG)
They are joined by the 12 winners of the round 2 ties, seven coming through the champions path (for domestic champions) and five from the league path (for domestic runners-up and third-placed teams).
Ajax (NED), Benfica (POR), Brann (NOR), Eintracht Frankfurt (FRA), Häcken (SWE), Paris FC (FRA), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Real Madrid (ESP), Roma (ITA), Rosengård (SWE), St. Pölten (AUT), Slavia Praha (CZE)
Round 2 ties
Second legs
Wednesday 18 October
Wolfsburg 0-2 Paris FC (agg: 3-5)
Two-time winners Wolfsburg were 2022/23 runners-up and had not failed to reach at least the quarter-finals in the last 11 seasons. But that record streak is over after they followed fellow former champions Arsenal in falling to Paris FC. Gaëtane Thiney had an early penalty saved by Lisa Schmitz, but Julie Defour got her fifth European goal of the season on 38 minutes to put the visitors in front. Wolfsburg were awarded a penalty just past the hour, but Chiamaka Nnadozie denied Dominique Janssen before substitute Louise Fleury sealed victory late on.
Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Manchester United (agg: 4-2)
European debutants Man United pushed the twice finalists all the way at Parc des Princes. Lieke Martens scored on 17 minutes, but not long after the break Lisa Naalsund levelled. However, Martens struck again almost instantly and Sandy Baltimore's outrageous lob from a narrow angle on 57 minutes put the game beyond the visitors.
Vorskla 1-6 Roma (agg: 1-9)
Evelyne Viens added to her first-leg goal before the break and although Nicole Kozlova struck for Vorskla, Bárbara Latorre opened her Roma account soon after and Lucia Di Guglielmo scored twice before a pair of own goals. Roma also made the group stage on debut last season, going on to reach the quarter-finals.
Universitatea Olimpia Cluj 0-6 Slavia Praha (agg: 0-11)
Slavia are also into a second straight group stage after Marjolen Nekesa added to her two first-leg goals and Tamara Morávková, Molly McLaughlin, Martina Šurnovská, and substitutes Haleigh Stackpole and Michaela Khýrová all struck to clinch a comfortable win.
Rosengård 5-1 Spartak Subotica (agg: 7-2)
Rosengård similarly cruised to a group stage return, having only edged to a narrow first-leg victory in Serbia. Mai Kadowaki, Hanna Andersson and Olivia Schough scored before half-time and further goals were added by Olivia Holdt and Gudrún Arnardóttir. Tijana Filipović got a late consolation for the visitors.
Sparta Praha 0-3 Eintracht Frankfurt (agg: 0-8)
Barbara Dunst's first-half hat-trick ensured Frankfurt built on their first-leg advantage, allowing the four-time winners to earn a debut spot in the post-2021/22 group stage.
Vålerenga 0-3 Real Madrid (agg: 1-5)
Madrid only had a narrow lead to take to Oslo but held their nerve to make it three group stage appearances in a row. Sandie Toletti scored just before the half-hour mark and her French compatriot Naomie Feller added another in the 68th minute before Athenea del Castillo completed the scoring in added time.
Ajax 2-0 Zürich (agg: 8-0)
Ajax are the first Dutch team to reach the group stage, having been inspired by a Romée Leuchter hat-trick in Switzerland. Leuchter was on target again in the 73rd and 78th minutes to add gloss to their victory against one of last season's group contenders.
St. Pölten 0-1 Valur (agg: 4-1)
Lise Dissing gave Valur victory on the night but St. Pölten's decisive first-leg win in Iceland ensured the Austrian champions' second consecutive group stage appearance. Valur will be back next season after clinching their third straight domestic title.
Brann 2-0 Glasgow City (agg: 6-0)
Brann earned Norway's debut group stage berth as Glasgow City joined fellow former quarter-finalists Valur in exiting the competition. Marthine Østenstad and substitute Nora Eide Lie got the goals in Bergen.
Twente 1-2 Häcken (agg: 3-4)
Häcken, who took part in the inaugural group stage in 2021/22, are back again after coming from behind in Enschede. Leonie Vliek, who equalised for Twente in Gothenburg last week, gave them a half-time lead in the second leg, but Anna Anvegård levelled just past the hour before Felicia Schröder got what proved to be the winner four minutes later.
Benfica 4-0 Apollon (agg: 11-0)
Benfica, like Barcelona, Bayern, Chelsea, Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, will remain ever-present in the three seasons of the group stage. Already well clear from the first leg in Cyprus, Benfica went further ahead through Letícia Almeida just before the hour, and although Marie Alidou missed a penalty, she scored in between efforts from Kika Nazareth and substitute Christy Ucheibe as the hosts eased to victory.
First legs
Wednesday 11 October
Zürich 0-6 Ajax
A Leuchter hat-trick was the highlight as Ajax, who reached the old knockout round of 16 in 2018/19, put themselves in sight of their (and the Netherlands') group bow. Zürich, who made the group stage last season, were two down at the break through Quinty Sabajo and Chasity Grant, before Leuchter added her three goals in a 14-minute second-half spell. Substitute Danique Tolhoek, 18, got the visitors' sixth late on.
Real Madrid 2-1 Vålerenga
Madrid made the group stage in both their previous campaigns but Vålerenga, beaten by Häcken at this stage two years ago, held out to give themselves hope for the return in Norway. Claudia Zornoza struck early but Felicia Rogic equalised, and although Rocío Gálvez restored the hosts' lead just before half-time, dominant Madrid could not increase their advantage.
Roma 3-0 Vorskla
Roma, who made the quarter-finals on debut last season, put on a dominant performance, with goals from Viens, Manuela Giugliano and Valentina Giacinti giving the home side a healthy first-leg advantage.
Apollon 0-7 Benfica
Benfica set themselves on course to make it three group-stage appearances in a row after victory in Limassol. There were two goals each by Marie-Yasmine Alidou (her first was Benfica's 1,000th in their 184 competitive games) and substitute Jéssica Silva, who struck both hers in added time.
Spartak Subotica 1-2 Rosengård
Another of last season's group contenders got a lead to defend in the return leg after Ria Öling's winner 18 minutes from time. Caroline Seger's early goal had been cancelled out by Spartak's Željka Belovan.
Glasgow City 0-4 Brann
Neither Scotland nor Norway have previously had a team in the group stage, but Brann were well placed to ensure their nation's wait ends after an impressive display. Rakel Engesvik scored on five minutes and Justine Kvaleng Kielland doubled the lead before the quarter-hour mark with a superb looping finish. Engesvik produced some individual skill to make it 3-0 before half-time, with Marit Lund adding a fourth late in the second half.
Slavia Praha 5-0 Universitatea Olimpia Cluj
Slavia too put themselves in a strong position to earn a second straight group campaign, never looking back after two goals in the first nine minutes by Nekesa. Michaela Khýrová made it three at the break and the evergreen Petra Divišová and Karolína Křivská increased the advantage in the final minutes.
Häcken 2-2 Twente
Vliek equalised for the visitors on 53 minutes to leave this tie delicately poised. Katariina Kosola had put 2021/22 group contenders Häcken ahead for the first time, after Schröder had cancelled out Taylor Ziemer's opener for Twente just before half-time.
Tuesday 10 October
Manchester United 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain
United came from behind on their debut to get a draw against the two-time finalists, thanks to a headed equaliser from substitute Melvine Malard. The goal came just four minutes into her first European appearance for the club she joined this summer from Lyon, with whom she won the Women's Champions League in 2022. Paris had taken the lead early in the second half through Tabitha Chawinga, the first Malawian to score in UEFA competition and appear in the Women's Champions League.
Paris FC 3-3 Wolfsburg
In their round 1 final, Paris FC knocked out former champions Arsenal on penalties after a 3-3 draw in which they led twice. It was a similar story here against two-time winners Wolfsburg as the home side were 2-1 and 3-2 ahead in a thrilling first half, but Popp equalised both times for the 2023 runners-up on the 15th anniversary of her European debut for Duisburg against Neftekhimik.
Eintracht Frankfurt 5-0 Sparta Praha
The four-time champions took a big advantage Laura Freigang hit a hat-trick against the former quarter-finalists, who ended with ten players.
Valur 0-4 St. Pölten
Last season, St. Pölten needed a late extra-time goal at KuPS Kuopio to earn a group-stage debut, but they ensured they were well placed for a more comfortable progression in Austria, with 17-year-old Valentina Mädl scoring twice in their win away to former quarter-finalists Valur.
Meet the teams
• Häcken, Man United, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Roma, Rosengård, Slavia Praha, Sparta Praha and Wolfsburg began their campaigns in round 2, while the other 15 contenders came through round 1 in September.
• Eintracht Frankfurt (who knocked out Juventus in round 1) won four titles under their previous guise of 1. FFC Frankfurt. In 2005/06 they drew 1-1 with Sparta in the second qualifying round, with both teams getting through the group.
• Wolfsburg, runners-up in 2022/23, are two-time champions. Paris Saint-Germain are twice runners-up.
• Paris Saint-Germain and Roma (on debut) reached last season's quarter-finals. Glasgow City, Häcken, Madrid, Slavia, Sparta and Valur have previously made the quarter-finals, while Paris FC (who knocked out Arsenal in this season's round 1) got to the 2012/13 semis under the name Juvisy.
• Benfica and Madrid, like Paris Saint-Germain and Wolfsburg, aimed to keep up their record of reaching the group stage every season since its 2021/22 introduction. Also hoping to return after featuring in last season's group stage, along with Roma, were Rosengård, Slavia, St. Pölten and Zürich. Häcken appeared in the 2021/22 group stage.
• Man United were making their debut. Their defender Hannah Blundell scored against Paris Saint-Germain for Chelsea in the 2018/19 quarter-finals.
• Cyprus, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Scotland and Serbia were yet to be represented in the group stage before this season.
Which tie was in which path?
Champions path
Apollon LFC vs Benfica
Zürich vs Ajax
Roma vs FC Vorskla
Valur vs St. Pölten
Slavia Praha vs Universitatea Olimpia Cluj
Glasgow City vs Brann
Spartak Subotica vs Rosengård
League path
Häcken vs Twente
Real Madrid vs Vålerenga
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Sparta Praha
Paris FC vs Wolfsburg
Manchester United vs Paris Saint-Germain
Season calendar
Round 2
First leg: 10/11 October
Second leg: 18 October
Group stage draw
20 October, Nyon
Group stage
Matchday 1: 14/15 November
Matchday 2: 22/23 November
Matchday 3: 13/14 December
Matchday 4: 20/21 December
Matchday 5: 24/25 January
Matchday 6: 30/31 January
Quarter-final & semi-final draw
6 February, Nyon
Quarter-finals
First leg: 19/20 March
Second leg: 27/28 March
Semi-finals
First leg: 20/21 April
Second leg: 27/28 April
Final (San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao)
25 May