Women's Champions League third qualifying round: Chelsea, Wolfsburg, Real Madrid win first legs

Chelsea, Wolfsburg and Real Madrid are among the teams taking advantages into the second legs of their UEFA Women's Champions League third qualifying round ties, which conclude on 1 and 2 September.

The winners of the nine third qualifying round ties will join the nine clubs directly qualified for the league phase, while the nine defeated teams will transfer to the UEFA Women's Europa Cup second qualifying round.

We round up all the action from the first legs.

Women's Champions League third qualifying round first legs

Brann 2-1 Austria Wien

Brann hold a narrow advantage going into the second leg, having opened the scoring through Nea Lehtola directly from a corner midway through the first half.

Austria Wien equalised four minutes later when Elisa Pfattner half-volleyed in following Modesta Uka's corner, but the 2023/24 quarter-finalists regained the lead as Lauren Davidson followed up and slotted in after Jasmin Pal saved her second-half penalty.

Wolfsburg 2-0 Inter

Goals either side of half-time from Lara Prašnikar and Camilla Küver set up victory for the two-time former champions against ten-player Inter.

Wolfsburg put goalkeeper Cecilía Rúnarsdóttir under early pressure and broke the deadlock when Svenja Huth cut back to Prašnikar to score shortly before the interval.

Inter's Chiara Robustellini was sent off early in the second half and Wolfsburg capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Küver heading in from Ella Peddemors' corner to double their lead.

Camilla Küver's goal wrapped up victory for WolfsburgGetty Images

Sparta Praha 3-2 Servette

Aiming for a league phase/group stage debut, Sparta led on nine minutes when Franny Černá poked in after being played through by Michaela Khýrová.

The hosts' captain Eva Bartoňová hit the woodwork before Servette equalised through Magdalena Sobal. Sparta restored their lead just before half-time, when last season’s Czech league top scorer Denisa Rancová pounced on the rebound after Anna Petryk hit the post.

Nikola Harantová, in the Sparta goal, made several crucial saves before Bartoňová made it 3-1 midway through the second half from Khýrová’s corner, before substitute Paola Hernández reduced arrears for Servette.

PSV Eindhoven 0-1 HB Køge

HB Køge, who made the group stage in 2021/22, will take a narrow lead into their home second leg after winning in Eindhoven.

Their goal came just before half-time, when Kyra Carusa turned in from Mille Gejl’s corner.

Both teams had opportunities in the second half, including the ball rolling just wide of the PSV goal after a defensive miscommunication, while at the other end Alberte Vingum made more than one vital save to preserve HB Køge’s lead.

Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain

A fast start saw four-time winners Frankfurt and former finalists Paris Saint-Germain set up a finely-poised second leg by drawing in Germany.

Larissa Mühlhaus gave the hosts a fourth-minute lead before French striker Naomie Feller, newly-signed from Real Madrid, announced her arrival for the visitors with an equaliser three minutes later – set up by Merveille Kanjinga to slot in.

Frankfurt midfielder Hanna Bennison hit the post early in the second half and the hosts had the better of the second-half chances, but were unable to secure an advantage to take to Poissy next week.

Ajax 0-2 Real Madrid

Madrid's victory keeps them in contention to successfully negotiate qualifying in all six seasons of the league phase/group stage format.

The Spanish side had the better of the first half against their fellow former quarter-finalists, and came close to taking the lead when Lotte Keukelaar hit the woodwork against her former club.

The star of Häcken’s 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Europa Cup triumph before her summer move to Madrid, Felicia Schröder broke the deadlock three minutes before half-time with a magnificent free-kick.

Another off-season Madrid arrival, Dutch defender Janou Levels, doubled the lead in the 73rd minute, controlling the ball in the middle of the box and showing neat footwork to work herself the space to shoot in.

Real Madrid's Felicia Schröder celebrates after scoring from a free-kickReal Madrid via Getty Images

Chelsea 5-2 Real Sociedad

Chelsea survived an early scare to put themselves in a strong position to maintain their record of reaching every league phase/group stage.

The visitors struck against the run of play in the eighth minute, with a spectacular lobbed shot by UEFA club competition debutant Ainhoa Marin.

Naomi Girma got a touch on a corner from new Blues signing Katie McCabe to equalise, and Chelsea took the lead nine minutes into the second half when Veerle Buurman headed Lauren James’ corner inside the far post.

Sociedad levelled the scores through Cecilia Marcos, before another new Blues arrival, Melvine Malard, chased down a through ball and rounded keeper Julia Arrula. Ellie Carpenter twice showed her pace and skill before squaring to set up further Chelsea goals, first teeing up James then late on supplying Malard’s second.

Czarni Sosnowiec 1-4 OH Leuven

Isabella Dekker's second-half double moved last season's European debutants a step closer to a second consecutive league phase with a convincing win in Sosnowiec.

Kadhiya De Ceuster gave the visitors an early lead but Klaudia Miłek's equaliser midway through the first half kept the game level until just after the hour, when Dekker scored twice in five minutes to put the Belgian side in control.

Teenager Lily Hoekx extended OH Leuven's advantage with a late fourth goal to take a three-goal lead into their home leg.

St. Pölten 0-3 Juventus

St. Pölten face a challenge to advance through qualifying for the fifth year in a row after Juventus secured a three-goal advantage in the tie.

Tatiana Pinto was among the scorers when the Italian side won 5-0 at St. Pölten on Matchday 5 of last season’s league phase, and she struck again eight minutes into the first leg by pouncing on the volley after Julia Bartel’s low shot was blocked.

Martina Rosucci made it 2-0 in the 38th minute with a ferocious shot from distance. St. Pölten had chances in the second half but fell further behind with ten minutes remaining, when Tatiana Pinto was once again alert to turn in a rebound after Carina Schlüter parried an Annamaria Serturini effort.

Tatiana Pinto starred for Juventus in their first leg victoryJuventus FC via Getty Images

Second legs

Tuesday 1 September:

Austria Wien vs Brann (18:00)

Wednesday 2 September:

Paris Saint-Germain vs Eintracht Frankfurt (18:30)
Inter vs Wolfsburg (18:30)
Servette FCCF vs Sparta Praha (18:45)
Real Sociedad vs Chelsea (19:00)
HB Køge vs PSV Eindhoven (19:00)
OH Leuven vs Czarni Sosnowiec (20:00)
Real Madrid vs Ajax (20:00)
Juventus vs St. Pölten (20:30)

2026/27 UEFA Women's Champions League match dates

League phase

Draw: 4 September, Nyon (date subject to change)
Matchday 1: 22/23 September
Matchday 2: 30 September/1 October
Matchday 3: 28/29 October
Matchday 4: 10/11 November
Matchday 5: 18/19 November
Matchday 6: 16 December

Knockout phase draw

Draw: 18 December, Nyon (date subject to change)

Knockout phase play-offs

First leg: 3/4 February
Second leg: 10/11 February

Quarter-finals

First leg: 23/24 March
Second leg: 31 March/1 April

Semi-finals

First leg: 1/2 May
Second leg: 8/9 May

Final (Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw)

28, 29 or 30 May