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Meet the UEFA Women's Champions League last eight

The quarter-finals match Montpellier with Chelsea, Wolfsburg with Slavia Praha, Manchester City with Linköping and holders Lyon with Barcelona:we introduce the contenders.

Chelsea are the only first-time quarter-finalists
Chelsea are the only first-time quarter-finalists ©Getty Images

Quarter-finals: 21/22 & 28 March
1 Montpellier (FRA) v Chelsea (ENG)
2 Wolfsburg (GER) v Slavia Praha (CZE)
3 Manchester City (ENG) v Linköping (SWE)
4 Lyon (FRA, holders) v Barcelona (ESP)

Semi-finals: 21/22 & 28/29 April
1 Montpellier/Chelsea v Wolfsburg/Slavia
2 Man. City/Linköping v Lyon/Barcelona

Final: 24 May – Valeriy Lobanovskiy Dynamo Stadium, Kyiv
Semi-final 1 v Semi-final 2

MONTPELLIER V CHELSEA (first leg 0-2, return on Wednesday)

Montpellier (FRA)

Best performance: semi-finals 2006
Quarter-final record: W1 L0
Top scorer: Sofia Jakobsson 3
Added to squad:
Lisa Martinez, Casey Murphy, Laetitia Tonazzi
League position:
3

• Montpellier finished above 2017 UEFA Women's Champions League runners-up Paris to claim France's second berth in this season's competition.

• In the round of 32 they lost 1-0 at home to former finalists Zvezda-2005 before winning 2-0 in Russia, while in the last 16 they twice trailed before a 3-2 first-leg victory at Brescia.

• En route to the 2006 semis, they drew a group game with Turbine Potsdam and knocked out Brøndby before succumbing on away goals to FFC Frankfurt.

Chelsea (ENG)

Best performance: first quarter-final
Top scorer: Fran Kirby 2
Added to squad:
Jade Bailey, Deanna Cooper
League position: 1

• Chelsea are the only quarter-finalists in this round for the first time.

• After losing to Wolfsburg in the round of 16 in 2015/16 and in the last 32 last term, Chelsea have knocked out Bayern München and Rosengård in their third campaign.

• Among their squad are Karen Carney, Katie Chapman, Gemma Davison and Gilly Flaherty, all part of the only previous English team to win this competition, Arsenal in 2006/07; Chelsea boss Emma Hayes was also part of the Gunners coaching staff then. Since the last 16 American player Crystal Dunn has left.

WOLFSBURG V SLAVIA PRAHA (first leg 5-0, return on Wednesday)

Wolfsburg (GER)

Best performance: winners 2013, 2014
Quarter-final record: W4 L1
Top scorers: Sara Bjork Gunnarsdóttir, Pernille Harder, Alex Popp, Tessa Wullaert 4
Added to squad: Melina Leck, Anna-Lena Stolze
League position: 1

• The Wolves suffered a first quarter-final defeat in 2016/17 to Lyon, whom they had beaten for their first title in the 2013 final but lost to in the 2016 decider.

• Ralf Kellermann, who led Wolfsburg in all their previous European campaigns, stepped back from coaching last summer to focus on his sporting director role, replaced by Stephan Lerch

• Wolfsburg have produced convincing wins so far against Spanish champions Atlético Madrid and Serie A title holders Fiorentina.

©Martin Sidorjak

Slavia Praha (CZE)

Best performance: quarter-finals 2016
Quarter-final record: W0 L1
Top scorer: Kateřina Svitková 5
Added to squad:
Sandra Jessen
League position:
1

• Slavia fell to Lyon in their only previous quarter-final, the second time in their four past campaigns they have gone out to the eventual winners after Umeå in 2004.

• The only other sides to knock them out of Europe are Barcelona and Rosengård.

• Have signed Iceland midfielder Sandra Jessen on loan.

MANCHESTER CITY V LINKÖPING (first leg 2-0, return on Wednesday)

Manchester City (ENG)

Best performance: semi-finals 2017
Quarter-final record: W1 L0
Top scorers: Nikita Parris 3
Added to squad:
Pauline Bremer, Nadia Nadim, Jessica Park, Julia Spetsmark
League position:
2

• City reached the semi-finals on their debut last season, falling to Lyon, who they could meet again at that stage.

• The club won the last 'summer' English league title in 2016 and remain the champions; the FA Women's Super League (WSL) now has an autumn-to-spring season. However, in a stuttering recent run they have lost the league lead to Chelsea and been beaten by Arsenal in the FA WSL Cup final.

• Denmark's Nadia Nadim has made a successful start since joining from Portland Thorns; in her four previous campaigns with Fortuna Hjørring she lost each time in the round of 16.

Linköping (SWE)

Best performance: quarter-finals 2011, 2015, 2017
Quarter-final record: W0 L2
Top scorer: Lina Hurtig 4
Added to squad: Filippa Angeldahl, Linn Bogren, Hilda Carlén, Natasha Dowie, Elin Landström
League position:
1 (last season)

• Linköping fell in their previous quarter-finals to Arsenal (2011) and Brøndby (2015).

• Whatever happens, Linköping will be back in this competition next season after retaining the Swedish title; they are the sole remaining contender from a summer league. Since retaining the title coach Kim Björkegren has moved to China to be replaced by Marcus Walfridsson.

• Their league championship win came despite the close-season departures of Pernille Harder to Wolfsburg and Stina Blackstenius to Montpellier; this winter they have lost the likes of Jonna Andersson, Kristine Minde and Claudio Neto but have  made up for it with some impressive signings, Natasha Dowie scoring one and setting up another for Kosovare Asllani on Saturday on debut in the Swedish Cup semi-finals.

LYON V BARCELONA (first leg 2-1, return on Wednesday)

©Getty Images

Lyon (FRA, holders)

Best performance: winners 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017
Quarter-final record: W8 L0
Top scorer: Ada Hegerberg 13
Added to squad: Morgan Brian, Amandine Henry, Jessica Houara d'Hommeaux
League position: 1

• Lyon, for whom Hegerberg is one off the season record for goals in this competition, aim to become the first five-time winners and the only side to lift the trophy three years in a row. Their winter signings have further strengthened that bid for a side that have won all 24 of their competitive matches this season, scoring 155 goals and onceding four.

• In the last 16, Camille Abily equalled Emma Byrne's record of 77 appearances in this competition and her hat-trick took her to 42 European goals for OL, the most anyone has for a single club. Earlier this autumn Lyon became the first team to play 80 UEFA women's club games.

• OL lost home second legs to Wolfsburg and Manchester City in the quarter and semi-finals respectively last season but still won through. Their last elimination was in the 2014/15 round of 16 to Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcelona (ESP)

Best performance: semi-finals 2017
Quarter-final record: W1 L2
Top scorers: Mariona Caldentey, Toni Duggan 3
Added to squad: Perle Morroni
League position: 2

• Barcelona are in the quarter-finals for the fourth time in five years.

• Last season they beat Rosengård to make the semi-finals for the first time, going out to Paris Saint-Germain.

• They strengthened in the summer with a number of signings including Lieke Martens, who went on to win UEFA Women's EURO 2017 with the Netherlands and be named UEFA and FIFA's player of the year.