Women's Champions League Matchday 6 preview: Six clubs compete for last three quarter-final spots

The 2023/24 UEFA Women's Champions League group stage ends on Tuesday and Wednesday.

So far Barcelona, Benfica, Brann, Chelsea and Lyon have booked spots in the 6 February quarter-final draw but six teams remain in contention for the last three berths on Tuesday. We preview the action.

C is for close

Group C looked the most competitive section in the three-season history of this round when the draws was made, and it has proved the closest four-way race of any of the 18 different pools so far seen in this format. Paris Saint-Germain, bottom with zero points after two games, now lead the way following three straight wins. But Ajax, the group's surprise package, are only two points back on seven, while Bayern have six and Roma five.

Both Paris and Bayern have made the quarter-finals five years running, but one of those seem likely to miss out unless Bayern win and Ajax do not beat Roma. While Paris seemed in peril when Magdalena Eriksson gave Bayern a 1-0 win in the French capital on Matchday 2, the two-time runners-up only require a draw and have looked in good form since the winter break, not least with their Marie-Antoinette Katoto-inspired 3-1 defeat of Ajax on Wednesday that took them top.

Ajax have attracted the biggest crowds of the group stage at Johan Cruijff ArenA and produced performances to match in beating Paris and Bayern to ensure that another home victory against Roma would make them only the second Dutch quarter-finalists after Saestum in 2006/07, when neither Ajax nor Roma even had women's sections. Should Ajax win and Paris lose, Suzanne Bakker's side would even claim first place and quarter-final seeding, ensuring they would avoid Barcelona, Chelsea and Lyon as well as whoever ends up runners-up in Group C.

Roma still hope the Group C runners-up will be them, to match their run to the quarter-finals on debut last season. They must win and hope Bayern do not, but things seemed a lot more straightforward for Roma when they led the way after Matchday 2, but two losses to Paris and a last-gasp equaliser conceded against Bayern have left the current group top scorers as the only of the four teams with their fate not entirely in their own hands.

Who will end an 11-year wait?

In the 2012/13 quarter-finals, Juvisy defeated Göteborg in both clubs' second run to that stage. Neither have got that far since, and each are now under different guises after mergers with men's clubs, but one of Paris FC or Häcken will be in the knockout draw.

Häcken have a one-point advantage in second place in Group D, and having won and drawn against PFC also hold a head-to-head edge should the two end up level. That means the Swedish side will go through should they secure a win at Real Madrid – whose early exit and four straight defeats show just how tough this group has been.

PFC not only must hope Häcken are denied victory but also themselves must inflict defeat on Chelsea, who have already secured first place in the group and beat Paris 4-1 at Stamford Bridge – although the hat-trick scorer that night, Sam Kerr, is now injured. But having famously knocked out Arsenal and Wolfsburg to even make the group stage, the French side have shown an ability to upset the odds.

Briefing notes

• In Wednesday's groups, all issues have been settled, with Barcelona and Lyon confirmed in first place and both Benfica and Brann into maiden quarter-finals.
• Many eyes will be on Lisbon, where Barcelona will attempt to finish on a maximum 18 points and end ten clear of Benfica with an away victory. Barcelona and Lyon – who have won the last eight titles between them and have looked as good as ever this season – may also vie to finish as group stage top scorers with both currently on 23, 12 clear of the next best tally by Chelsea.