The inaugural 18-team UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage has concluded! The competition featured six matchdays in a single league-phase format, showcasing some of the finest football talents globally. Now, we are left with the final 12 teams.
How did various teams fare throughout the tournament? It’s clear not everything went according to plan, as reflected in our grades.
OH LEUVEN (A+)
Although they finished 12th, qualifying for the knockout-phase playoffs was beyond what the Belgian underdogs could have envisioned in their first UWCL tournament. Victories against FC Twente and draws with PSG, Paris FC, and Roma paved their path to success, even managing to limit Barcelona and Arsenal to just three goals.
MANCHESTER UNITED (A)
United’s debut UWCL season was nothing short of remarkable. They secured three tight victories in their first matches against Valerenga, Atletico, and PSG, and a crucial 1-0 victory over Juventus on the final matchday solidified their chances, mitigating the impact of losses to Wolfsburg and OL Lyonnes. Operating with a thin squad, finishing sixth to earn a favorable playoff draw is a commendable feat.
BARCELONA (A-)
As expected, they topped the table after delivering a resounding 7-1 victory over Bayern on matchday one, showcasing their dominance with a goal difference of +17 from five wins. However, a 1-1 draw with Chelsea raised questions about their vulnerability as the tournament progresses, especially with the absences of star midfielders Patri and Aitana Bonmati due to injury.
OL LYONNES (A-)
OL Lyonnes displayed their star-studded lineup with an impressive average of three goals per game, achieving five wins out of six. Yet, they endured a dramatic comeback from a 3-0 halftime deficit against Juventus to secure a 3-3 draw, indicating that their journey hasn’t been without challenges. They’re certainly among the favorites to reach the final.
CHELSEA (B+)
In classic Chelsea fashion, anything less than perfection isn’t sufficient. They stumbled with two draws against FC Twente and Barcelona. However, they netted 16 goals against Paris FC, St. Pölten, and Roma, and capped off their campaign with a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Wolfsburg, positioning themselves in the top four by the end.
BAYERN MUNICH (B+)
After suffering a heavy 7-1 defeat to Barcelona, Bayern bounced back effectively, notching victories against Juventus, Arsenal (via a stunning comeback), PSG, and Valerenga. Even a 2-2 draw against Atlético Madrid couldn’t stop their progress. They will be formidable opponents in the knockout stage.
ARSENAL (B-)
The defending champions had a lackluster showing, barely making it into the top half of the knockout-phase playoff draw thanks to other teams’ misfortunes. Surprising defeats to OL Lyonnes and Bayern Munich raised eyebrows, although they managed to claim a vital 2-1 victory against Real Madrid to avoid an even worse outcome.
VALARENGA (B-)
Valarenga fought for playoff qualification right until the last matchday, a feat few expected at the outset. Their landmark victory over Roma was the highlight, but they squandered a 2-0 lead against St. Pölten, ultimately resulting in a 2-2 draw. Close losses to Man United, Wolfsburg, and Paris FC, capped off by a 3-0 defeat to Bayern on the final day, cost them a spot in the knockout stage.
TWENTE (C+)
Their unexpected 1-1 draw with Chelsea on matchday one set the pace, but subsequent struggles included a 2-1 loss to Leuven. With just two draws (the other against Benfica) they failed to progress, narrowly missing out on a win against Real Madrid in the final match with another 1-1 draw.
REAL MADRID (C+)
Madrid started strong with a 6-2 victory over Roma in their opening game followed by a 2-1 win over PSG, but stumbled with a draw against Paris FC and lost to Arsenal. They rebounded with a win over Wolfsburg, which meant they only needed to defeat Twente to secure an automatic spot. However, a disappointing draw left them facing a challenging playoff draw.
JUVENTUS (C)
Juventus was unable to progress from the group stage last season, and their inconsistency persisted. They managed to defeat deserving opponents like Benfica, St. Pölten, and Atletico. Yet, they came close against Bayern (2-1 loss due to a stoppage-time goal) and OL Lyonnes (3-3 draw), but a critical 1-0 defeat against Manchester United on the concluding matchday sealed their fate.
WOLFSBURG (C)
The two-time champions faced challenges on their journey to reclaiming glory with lackluster performances against OL Lyonnes (3-1 defeat) and Chelsea (2-1 loss). Although they secured routine wins against PSG, Valerenga, and Man United, falling to Real Madrid 2-0 was a major setback. They finished ninth, assessing a tough matchup in the playoffs, but remain a team to watch out for.
PARIS FC (C)
While they managed to outperform their local rivals PSG, it’s been a mediocre showing from Paris FC. A draw against OH Leuven to open their campaign, followed by losses to Chelsea (4-0) and Barcelona (2-0), suggested they struggled against stronger opponents. They did secure a draw against Real Madrid, thanks to a late equalizer, along with victories against Benfica and Valerenga.
ATLÉTICO MADRID (C)
Atletico faced defeats at home to Juventus and Manchester United, along with a 2-2 draw against Bayern, which hindered their success. Nevertheless, they showed resilience on the road with wins against FC Twente and St. Pölten but couldn’t withstand a 4-0 defeat by OL Lyonnes, leaving them positioned for a lower-half playoff draw.
ST. POLTEN (C)
Finishing last was expected for the Swiss club in a tough group. They managed to secure a point with a late comeback draw against Valerenga and limited OL Lyonnes to just three goals. Unfortunately, their overall campaign was disappointing, culminating in a goal difference of minus-25.
BENFICA (D)
The Portuguese side struggled to find their footing after taking an early lead against Juventus in their opener, ending with four losses. Given their challenging matches against Juve, Arsenal, Paris FC, and Barcelona, they could only salvage points through draws with FC Twente and PSG.
ROMA (F)
Despite leading Serie A, Roma’s performance in Europe was dismal, lacking the spark of former manager Alessandro Spugna. They were overwhelmed in their first two matches against Real Madrid (6-2) and Barcelona (4-0) and fell short against teams like Valerenga and OH Leuven, managing just a draw against the latter. A final day 6-0 defeat by Chelsea ended their already slim hopes for qualification.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (F)
An abysmal season for PSG saw them falter when expectations were high. Predicted to contend for the top spots, they suffered four consecutive losses before managing a draw against the underdog OH Leuven. Concluding their campaign with a draw against Benfica, with nothing on the line, highlighted their struggles. Though there was significant squad turnover, the results provide little justification for this level of performance.