UEFA Women's Champions League: Players to watch on Matchday 6

The last three UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final spots are decided on Tuesday and we look at four players key to their team's hopes of getting out of their groups.

Jennifer Falk (Häcken)

Häcken ended their previous group campaign in 2021/22 bottom with three points and 18 goals conceded, but on Tuesday a win at eliminated Real Madrid would take the Gothenburg club through from Group D and into their first quarter-final in more than a decade, regardless of whether third-placed Paris FC beat Chelsea. Key to Häcken's change in fortunes has been their defensive organisation; they have kept two clean sheets, including away to Chelsea, and just five goals conceded, Swedish international keeper Falk showing all her experience and ability.

In Wednesday's crucial 0-0 home draw with PFC, which kept Häcken second, Falk making a string of saves in the second half, saying afterwards: "At some point I came out and just made myself big." At Häcken since 2016, when they were still known as Göteborg, she has a tough job competing for a starting spot with the experienced Loes Geurts – who recently extended her club contract – but 23 clean sheets for club and country in 2023 shows the form of the 30-year-old Falk.

Grace Geyoro (Paris Saint-Germain)

Paris lost their first two Group C games but three wins in a row have taken them to within a point of a ninth quarter-final in ten seasons, with only a draw away at Bayern needed. Captain Geyoro has led the team from midfield and her nine competitive goals in 2023/24, including in the 3-1 defeat of Ajax on Wednesday that took Paris top, have already made this the most prolific season of the 26-year-old's career, just what they needed after the departure of Kadidatou Diani to Lyon.

"I've reached a point where I need to be thriving on the pitch and enjoying myself, and I think that I've broken new ground this season by scoring a lot more," Geyoro told the Paris club website, discussing the latest all-round development of a player who truly lives up to her name with her grace on the pitch.

Pernille Harder (Bayern)

Harder's summer arrival from Chelsea along with Magdalena Eriksson was a statement of intent from Bayern, who have reached six quarter-finals in seven years but only got further twice and are yet to make a final. However, Harder suffered a knee injury in October and only returned to the starting line-up for Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Roma that kept Bayern in third and leaves them needing to beat Paris to make the knockouts.

The return of the two-time UEFA Women's Player of the Year has reinvigorated Bayern, as shown by her display against Roma. Last year Harder helped Chelsea to an opening group victory at Paris and Bayern will be delighted to have her attacking flair and experience available on Tuesday.

Romée Leuchter (Ajax)

That one of Bayern or Paris Saint-Germain could well miss out is down to the performances of Ajax, who looked outsiders in a group containing three of last season's quarter-finalists. One of those was Roma, concluding away at an Ajax side who know that a third Johan Cruijff ArenA group victory after those against Paris and Bayern would secure progress.

At the forefront of Ajax's run has been Leuchter, who is the top scorer in the competition for the season as a whole with seven in qualifying and two more in the group stage including the winner against Bayern, and has also been finding the net at a goal per game on the domestic front. Leuchter, who turned 23 earlier this month, has long been prolific in the Eredivisie but is now proving so in the Champions League too, and might yet continue to do so in the knockout phase.