Chelsea UWCL Quarter-Finals Secured As Arsenal Enter Play-Offs

Chelsea confirmed a direct route into the Women's Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-1 comeback victory away to Wolfsburg, while holders Arsenal had to settle for a play-off place despite a comfortable

win, as the league phase wrapped up with English clubs facing contrasting fortunes.

Arsenal, defending the title, defeated Leuven 3-0 and will be among the seeded sides for the knock-out play-offs, yet the result was not enough for a top-four finish, with Bayern Munich edging the holders out of the automatic quarter-final positions by a single point.

Chelsea completed their sixth and final league-stage match under Sonia Bompastor with qualification still in doubt before kick-off, but the win in Germany lifted the Blues to third in the overall 18-team standings, placing them behind only Barcelona and Lyon and securing a guaranteed last-eight spot.

The game in Wolfsburg started badly for Chelsea, who fell behind when Alexandra Popp finished from close range, and the German side then created several chances to stretch the advantage but failed to convert, leaving the door open for a response before the interval.

Lucy Bronze levelled with a decisive header just before half-time, shifting the momentum towards Chelsea, and after the restart the visitors imposed themselves more clearly, with Sam Kerr scoring the winner through a looping header that sealed the comeback and confirmed their automatic progression.

Wolfsburg's defeat left the German club in ninth place in the final league table, which means an unseeded position for the upcoming play-off draw, while Chelsea's strong finish ensured that England will have at least one side directly represented in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.

Arsenal produced a controlled display against Leuven, with Olivia Smith and Beth Mead both finding the net and Saar Janssen turning the ball into the Leuven goal as well, yet the London side still required results elsewhere to move into the top four and those favours did not arrive.

The final league phase standings #UWCL pic.twitter.com/YGcUS4Iny2UEFA Womens Champions League (@UWCL) December 17, 2025

Women's Champions League play-off contenders

Bayern Munich secured the final automatic quarter-final berth ahead of Arsenal after beating Valerenga 3-0, and that victory ensured the German side finished one point clear of the holders, who must now negotiate a two-legged play-off despite ending the league stage in fifth place.

The play-off draw will feature Arsenal against either Atletico Madrid or Leuven, who closed the league phase in 11th and 12th positions respectively, with the Gunners scheduled to face one of those two sides in a home-and-away tie for a place in the last eight.

Manchester United also finished strongly, winning 1-0 away to Juventus thanks to a goal from Jess Park, and United will be drawn against whichever of Atletico Madrid or Leuven is not paired with Arsenal, giving another English club a chance to progress through the Women's Champions League play-off route.

The remaining play-off fixtures will match either Real Madrid or Juventus, and Wolfsburg or Paris FC, with the full draw set to take place on Thursday, so the final quarter-final line-up will only become clear once those ties are confirmed and the seeded and unseeded positions are locked in.

With Chelsea already safely in the quarter-finals and Arsenal and Manchester United preparing for the play-offs, English clubs remain heavily involved in the Women's Champions League picture, while Wolfsburg, Real Madrid, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Leuven and Paris FC now await a draw that will define their next European tests.