Women's Champions League Matchday 5 preview: Chelsea vs Paris SG, Real Madrid vs Inter, Arsenal vs OL Lyonnes, Benfica vs Roma

Several teams have their sights set on joining OL Lyonnes and holders Barcelona in ensuring progress from the league phase on Matchday 5 of the 2026/27 UEFA Women's Champions League.

The penultimate round takes place on Wednesday and Thursday, with the various contenders jostling to advance directly to the quarter-finals from the top four or reach the knockout phase play-offs in positions five to 12. We highlight the storylines and players to watch out for.

Matchday 5's key storylines and statistics

• Fourth-placed Arsenal take on leaders OL Lyonnes in a rivalry that will become the joint-most-played fixture in this competition's history: it will be their 13th encounter, level with meetings between OLL and Wolfsburg.
• Bottom side Austria Wien hope to upset unbeaten Bayern, while an improved Servette face a daunting trip to Barcelona, whose perfect start was ended at home to Arsenal last time out.
• Juventus and Inter will aim to get back on track after heavy home defeats as they meet OH Leuven and unbeaten Real Madrid, respectively.
• Having held Chelsea on Matchday 4, Häcken welcome a Manchester City side fresh from their clinical display at Inter.
• There will be pivotal games in the qualifying race on Thursday as Benfica take on Roma and Paris FC meet HB Køge Women.

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Wednesday's match in focus: Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain

Both these sides suffered Matchday 4 setbacks, with Chelsea held 0-0 at Häcken and losing their place in the top four to Bayern München, who won 2-1 at Paris Saint-Germain to leave the French side tenth and needing a result to avoid entering Matchday 6 in danger of a second straight league phase exit. After last season's disappointment, Paris SG began this campaign well both domestically and in Europe before some recent wobbles, though on Matchday 3 they came away from England with a 1-1 draw at Man City thanks to Tara Elimbi Gilbert's late equaliser.

Chelsea hold a historical edge over Paris SG, beating them twice in the 2022/23 group stage and knocking them out in a dramatic 2018/19 quarter-final. Paris SG are not only facing a number of their former OL Lyonnes rivals (and Griedge Mbock Bathy, Sakina Karchaoui and Naomie Feller's ex-team-mates) under Sonia Bompastor but also Sandy Baltimore, who made not far off 200 appearances for the French capital side before her 2024 switch to London. They themselves boast ex-Chelsea midfielder Jackie Groenen.

Thursday's match in focus: Benfica vs Roma

Both these former quarter-finalists missed out on the top 12 last season after Matchday 5 defeats proved very costly. This time around, they head into their penultimate fixtures fresh from victories that moved them up the table, Benfica beating Austria Wien to go ninth on six points and Roma now 12th after a first win against Servette. Before that, the Giallorosse had not scored in their three previous league phase games this term.

Benfica opened their campaign this season with victory at Juventus to avenge a defeat by the same team last year, the only other fixture they have played against Italian opposition. Roma's previous trip to Portugal also came in 2025/26, a 2-0 qualifying win at Sporting CP to overturn a 2-1 home defeat, and the Serie A champions will hope that serves as a good omen as they look to complete something of a league phase comeback following a slow start.

Player in focus: Alessia Russo, Arsenal

For an example of how often Arsenal and OL Lyonnes cross paths, this is set to be Russo's sixth meeting with the eight-time European champions despite having only joined Arsenal in 2023. In that time, the England forward has experienced semi-final joy and heartbreak (scoring in both ties) and also suffered a 2-1 home loss to OLL at Meadow Park in last season's league phase (Russo on target that time too).

Russo, like Arsenal themselves, began this season slowly but has burst into familiar prolific form, not least becoming the all-time English top scorer in this competition with her hat-trick against Benfica, while the Gunners showed their ability to eke out a result during their 1-1 draw at Barcelona on Matchday 4. Unusually, Russo was not on target, but there is every chance she will again register against another of Europe's giants a week on.

Russo's next fixture: Arsenal vs OL Lyonnes (Thursday)

One to watch: Anaële Le Moguédec, Paris FC

Versatile midfielder Le Moguédec joined Paris from Reims in summer 2025 and helped her new club reach the Women's Champions League knockout phase play-offs in her debut season in European competition. If winless Paris are to get there again, victory at home to HB Køge Women on Thursday will be crucial – as well as another chance for Le Moguédec, who recently made the FIFPRO Women's World 11 2026 shortlist, to underline her rise to prominence.

Le Moguédec gained her first senior club experience in the second tier at Nantes and, just three years on from moving to the top division with Reims, she is now a regular on the highest stage. It was her Champions League performance in the pivotal defeat of Benfica last term, setting up both Paris goals, that France coach Laurent Bonadei highlighted when giving Le Moguédec her first national-team call last November.

Le Moguédec's next fixture: Benfica vs Roma (Thursday)

Anaële Le Moguédec of Paris FCGetty Images

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