The 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League semifinals begin this weekend, as four powerhouse clubs familiar with the UWCL spotlight kick off their first matches of the two-leg round.
France's Olympique Lyonnais, Spain's Barcelona FC, and England's Arsenal and Chelsea will battle it out, with just two tickets to the winner-take-all May 24th final in Portugal on the line.
"The coolest thing about big tournaments and high-stake games is you might be expecting something, and you get something completely different," Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Lindsey Heaps told reporters this week. "That's when you see the best teams come out, and they're able to adjust."
Champions League semis pit WSL against European elite
Arguably topping the four-contender list are defending champs Barcelona, with the Spanish side hunting a fourth UWCL title in five years. First, however, they'll have to contend with a stacked Chelsea team hungry to lift a first-ever Champions League trophy — one that could clinch a historic quadruple.
Meanwhile, with both the men's and women's sides reaching this season's Champions League semifinals, Arsenal will square off against eight-time champions Lyon in a quest to claim their first UWCL title in over 18 years.
Both WSL titans are chasing history against their European opponents, with Arsenal still the only UK team to ever win Champions League.
The Gunners will kick off the round by hosting Lyon in their 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium.
"Playing at the Emirates, and the hunger and the belief that we have as a team at the moment, we're going to go and play our game to the best we can," said Arsenal manager Renée Slegers.
With an estimated 40,000 tickets sold for the pivotal clash, Emirates provides an environment even Arsenal's opponents look forward to competing in.
"You always want these kind of crowds and this kind of atmosphere," Heaps said of the Saturday matchup. "Even if it's against you, it's the best thing in the world."
How to watch the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League semifinals
The first-leg matchups of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League semifinals kicks off on Saturday, when Arsenal hosts Lyon at 7:30 AM ET.
Then on Sunday, Chelsea will travel to Barcelona to take on the reigning champs at 12 PM ET.
Both matches will air live on DAZN.
Chelsea FC kept their quadruple dreams alive this weekend, advancing to the 2025 FA Cup Final with Saturday’s 2-1 semifinal win over Liverpool in their quest to lift four major trophies in a single season.
With the 2025 League Cup already secured last month, the Blues will continue hunting a sixth straight WSL title when they dive back into league play next week.
The WSL leaders have yet to lose a league match this season. Chelsea currently holds a six-point lead over both London rival Arsenal and Manchester United at the top of the table, with just four matchdays separating the club from their second piece of 2024/25 hardware.
A first-ever UWCL title could clinch a Chelsea quadruple
If the Blues take home the 2025 FA Cup after their May 18th battle with Man U, they will need just one final championship to clinch the quadruple — the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League trophy.
First, however, Chelsea must book a spot in the UWCL's championship match on May 24th. To do so, first-year manager Sonia Bompastor’s squad must outlast Champions League powerhouse Barcelona in the tournament's two-leg semifinals, which kick off next weekend.
Should they go on to lock down the 2025 FA Cup, WSL, and UWCL titles, the Blues will become just the third team to ever win a quartet, joining the 2006/07 Arsenal squad and last season's dominant Barcelona roster.
The 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals will be decided over the next two days, as the second leg of the home-and-away quarterfinals cuts Europe’s surviving eight teams down to four.
Each of the first-leg victors boasts a multi-goal advantage over their opponents, with three-time UWCL winners — and defending champs — Barcelona leading the way after taking a 4-1 victory from German side Wolfsburg.
Eight-time champions Lyon also have a Bundesliga club on the ropes thanks to a 2-0 first-leg win over Bayern Munich.
Perennial winners aside, the knockout round’s most anticipated storylines belong to the three remaining English clubs: Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea.
While Chelsea FC is enjoying an eight-point lead on the WSL table, they're position in UWCL play is far more perilous. Earlier this month, former former Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema boosted City over the Blues with a brace in the pair's first quarterfinal meeting.
Thursday will see the second all-WSL clash of the Champions League quarters, as the match also marks an unusual fourth consecutive meeting between the two teams, with Chelsea winning the League Cup final earlier this month as well as the pair's Sunday WSL meeting — both by 2-1 scorelines.
Like the Blues, Arsenal’s Champions League campaign is similarly down to the wire, as the Gunners attempt to climb out of a 2-0 hole against Real Madrid on Wednesday. This time, however, Arsenal will hold a home-pitch advantage, hosting Las Blancas at the iconic Emirates Stadium — a significant boost after a first-leg match marred by particularly slippery playing conditions.
How to watch the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals
The second and final leg of the UWCL quarterfinals kicks off on Wednesday, with Lyon hosting Bayern Munich at 1:45 PM ET before Real Madrid visits Arsenal at 4 PM ET.
Thursday will determine the last two semifinalists, as Barcelona takes on Wolfsburg at 1:45 PM ET before the all-WSL face-off between Chelsea and Manchester City begins at 4 PM ET.
All Champions League matches will stream live on DAZN.
The UEFA Champions League returns to play on Tuesday, as the elite European club competition's round of quarterfinals undoubtedly raises the stakes for the tournament's underdogs.
The quarters will kick off with Real Madrid hosting Arsenal, with 2023/24 runners-up Lyon visiting Bayern Munich to close out Tuesday's play.
Following a near-perfect group-stage performance, back-to-back reigning champs Barcelona will open Wednesday's Champions League action against 2022/23 runners-up Wolfsburg, with a WSL clash between Manchester City and league frontrunner Chelsea closing out the quarterfinals' first leg later that day.
After a tightly contested group stage, the knockout rounds will see the UWCL competition intensify even more as teams zero in on the tournament’s May 24th final.
"In the group stage, you know that you have time to fix things," Bayern Munich defender Magdalena Eriksson told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s match. "Now, it’s crunch time. It’s really important to get that first good result."
"It’s extremely important — it’s a home game," Wolfsburg captain Alexandra Popp echoed. "We will play in front of our home fans, and we want to get a good or even a very good result, because we are aware of what’s going to [await] us in Barcelona."
WSL rivals take center-pitch in UWCL quarters
The stakes are even higher for UK rivals Chelsea and Man City, who are currently in the midst of a unique scheduling gauntlet, as Wednesday’s UWCL matchup will be the pair’s second of four straight meetings.
The Blues took the League Cup by handing Man City a 2-1 defeat on Saturday, but the Citizens could enact swift revenge as the two teams will play each other three more times over the next 10 days — including the two UWCL quarterfinal matches that could define City’s season after sacking long-time manger Gareth Taylor.
"We knew it would be hard games," said City newcomer Kerolin. "We’re working this week to do different things and [find a] different way to hurt Chelsea... And now we’re home, so [it] will be special."
How to watch the Champions League quarterfinals
The first leg of the UWCL quarterfinals kicks off on Tuesday, with Real Madrid vs. Arsenal at 1:45 PM ET, and Bayern Munich vs. Lyon at 4 PM ET.
Wednesday will see the final pairings face-off, as Barcelona takes on Wolfsburg at 1:45 PM ET before Chelsea hosts Manchester City at 4 PM ET.
All Champions League matches will stream live on DAZN.
WSL side Manchester City parted ways with manager Gareth Taylor on Monday, just five days before the club faces table-leaders Chelsea in Saturday’s League Cup final — and nine days before they meet Chelsea once again in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
In his nearly five years at the helm, Taylor led Man City to an overall 117-15-29 record, picking up the 2020 FA Cup and 2022 League Cup along the way.
Taylor departs just one year into a three-year contract renewal with the club.
"Manchester City prides itself on competing at the top of the WSL and on its outstanding record of qualifying for European competition," said Man City managing director Charlotte O'Neill in a club statement. "Unfortunately, results this season have so far not reached this high standard."
Former City coach Nick Cushing — who led the team from 2013 to 2020 — will take over interim manager duties for the remainder of the season.
Taylor’s dismissal follows a number of big-name WSL coaching changes, with Arsenal’s Jonas Eidevall and Liverpool’s Matt Beard both exiting the league this season.
Eidevall has since taken over as head coach for the NWSL’s San Diego Wave.
Despite rumblings that Taylor could follow suit and fill the vacancy with the Wave’s SoCal rival Angel City, those rumors appear to be overblown.
Manchester City still in the hunt for non-WSL titles
Sitting 12 points behind Chelsea with just six matchdays left in their 2024/25 season, fourth-place Man City's WSL title hopes have dimmed. However, they remain very much in the running for the League Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League honors.
That said, the Citizens are staring down an unusually demanding gauntlet against one of the world’s top clubs this month.
After facing Chelsea in Saturday's League Cup final and next week's Champions League quarterfinals, City will again take on the Blues in a March 23rd regular-season matchup before wrapping up the pair's two-leg Champions League quarters on March 27th.
Ultimately, the pressure for top WSL teams to properly challenge Chelsea’s years-long dominance is mounting — and some coaches appear to be bearing the brunt of those ambitions.
USWNT standout Naomi Girma made her long-awaited WSL debut on Sunday, featuring in a 2-2 Chelsea draw with Brighton before exiting in the game's 59th minute with a lingering leg injury.
The 24-year-old defender became the first women's soccer player to garner a transfer fee of over $1 million in January, with top-flight UK club Chelsea reportedly handing over a record-shattering $1.1 million to NWSL side San Diego in order to ink the star center back.
After a calf issue caused Girma to miss the USWNT’s February international break at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup and also delayed her introduction in London, she finally took the pitch for the Blues on Sunday. Swedish teammate Nathalie Björn replaced Girma after her second-half knock.
"She's learning about the league, the team and her teammates. As you could see, the first game is never easy because it's a competitive league" said Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor after the match. "It was good for us to have her start this game, building minutes and being able to play with the team."
"We’ll need to assess her tomorrow, but it doesn’t look too bad, but we will see," Bompastor added.
Chelsea stays at No. 1 in the 2024/25 WSL standings
Two-thirds of the way through the 2024/25 WSL campaign, Chelsea remains the lone undefeated club in the league, with Sunday's draw seeing the Blues drop points for just the second time all season.
Chelsea now sits five points ahead of Manchester United in the standings, as the elite team hunts a sixth-straight WSL title this season.
As for the Red Devils, a seven-game winning streak has Man U leapfrogging both third-place Arsenal and fourth-place Manchester City to sit in second with six weeks left to play.
More WSL shakeups could be coming, as reports of Man U entering talks to loan Brazil forward Geyse to 2023 NWSL champion Gotham FC also surfaced on Sunday.
With seven WSL matchdays left, the 2024/25 league title is still Chelsea’s for the taking, but as injuries mount and rosters fluctuate, there’s still plenty of time to dethrone the reigning UK champs.
The 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals are officially set, with UEFA drawing the remaining eight teams into the field early Friday morning.
The annual season-long competition pits Europe's top leagues against each other. This season, 72 clubs across 50 different leagues qualified for the contest. From the UK to Ukraine, all teams have been vying for the continent's top-dog status amidst a cutthroat atmosphere and a growing sense of parity in the sport.
Two qualifying rounds narrowed the initial teams down to the 16 contending in the tournament's official group stage. Each played six group-stage matches from October through December to determine the eight clubs that advanced to Friday's final draw.
The road to Champions League glory in Lisbon
All remaining clubs are now eyeing the May 24th final in Lisbon, Portugal, and Friday's draw mapped each team's path to that championship match. The 2024/25 quarterfinals will feature four former champions and four seeking a first-ever trophy, with both familiar fights and rarely tested toss-ups on deck.
Both the March quarterfinals and April semifinals employ a two-leg format, offering teams who suffer narrow first losses a shot at second-match redemption.
Friday's draw determined that WSL contenders Arsenal will kick off the tournament's quarterfinals against Real Madrid on March 18th, with Germany's Bayern Munich taking on France's 2024 UWCL runners-up Olympique Lyonnais shortly afterwards.
The following day, Bayern's Frauen-Bundesliga foes Wolfsburg will face Spain's 2024 UWCL champs FC Barcelona. Closing out the initial tilts is a WSL standoff between Manchester City and the UK league's undefeated titans Chelsea FC.
Increased global parity to test UWCL dynasties
With eight of the tournament's 23 titles under their belts, Lyon is the winningest team in UWCL history. Meanwhile, current back-to-back champions Barcelona claimed three of the last four trophies.
Despite the recent two-team domination, capturing this season's title will be a challenge. Hoping to spoil Lyon's and Barcelona's dynastic runs is four first-time title-hunters, plus two-time winners Wolfsburg and early champion Arsenal — who won the trophy in 2007, when the tournament was called the UEFA Women's Cup.
All in all, the European crown has never been tougher to claim, with leagues across the continent increasingly stocking up on standout — and potentially game-changing — players from beyond their borders.
Arsenal confirmed USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger as their newest signing on Thursday, with the ex-Gotham FC midfielder becoming a symbolic center-point for the recent exodus of NWSL stars heading overseas.
The 2023 NWSL champion is just the latest in a number of Gotham FC's offseason departures, as the NY/NJ club's superteam experiment resulted in a roster that's bursting at the seams.
At 24 years old, Nighswonger also finds herself among a group of NWSL players currently moving away from the US league. She follows USWNT teammate Naomi Girma — who last week signed with Chelsea for a record fee — 2023 NWSL MVP Kerolin, and other standouts to England's top-flight Women's Super League (WSL).
These moves have reignited longstanding discussions surrounding parity and superiority within international women's leagues. And with so many moving parts, it's easy for a single player to get caught up in a worldwide debate that far eclipses their career. But as Nighswonger tells it, the decision to sign with Arsenal comes from a simpler, more personal place.
"Playing in England is just something that I've always wanted to do," she told Just Women’s Sports this week in the lead-up to Arsenal's announcement. "So sometimes when an opportunity presents itself, even if you're happy at a club, you just have to take a leap of faith."
Of course, Nighswonger is less interested in comparing the NWSL to the WSL, preferring instead to detail her own footballing journey. "I have nothing but positive things to say about Gotham and the NWSL," she continued. "I think [transferring] is just a fun opportunity to play in another country, and learn about a new culture."
The opportunity to join Arsenal came about quickly. Though Nighswonger noted that any offseason comes with the possibility of player movement.
"My agent just called me and I was through the moon, just so excited," she said.
A fitting positional pick-up for Nighswonger
Beyond the headlines, the transfer is clearly a good positional fit for Nighswonger's continued development. Despite originally launching her professional career as an attacking midfielder, she moved to left-back after winning 2023's NWSL Rookie of the Year award in the role.
"I'm so grateful for [Gotham]," she said. "Because when they picked me up out of college, I was an attacking mid, and they saw the vision and had confidence in me to be a left-back."
The 24-year-old's successful conversion piqued the attention of the USWNT senior team. Going from a position of depth to one that centers on consistency was especially appealing for the national team. Subsequently, Nighswonger featured as an option off the bench for the US during last summer's Olympic gold medal run. However, she has yet to unseat 32-year-old Crystal Dunn to claim a starting spot in any major competition.
Dunn herself is just one example of an attacking-minded player making the move to outside-back at the international level. As such, Nighswonger trusts that the more appearances she has on the flank, the more comfortable she will become.
"When I first changed to left-back, I was kind of like, 'What am I doing?'" she recalled. "I had a little bit of a moment — I thought I was the No. 10, that's what I've been for a while. Then switching to left-back, I started to love it more and more."
"I might not have the experience that all these other left-backs have," she added. "But I have talents coming from other positions that are useful as well."
Becoming a two-way player with Gotham
As she shifts through thirds on the pitch, Nighswonger is certainly attacking-focused. But she increasingly feels drawn to becoming a true two-way player at the highest level. The NWSL has a reputation for fast-paced play and a high level of transition. However, thanks in part to to Spanish head coach Juan Carlos Amorós's overseas experience, Gotham wasn't a stranger to favoring the possession-based style more often encountered in Europe.
Throughout the 2024 regular season, Gotham played a very fluid defensive formation that utilized Nighswonger's instincts as an attacker. The team would defend in a back four, but their offense saw the outside-backs pushing into the attacking third. Therefore, it wouldn't be uncommon to see Nighswonger alongside the center-backs on opposing goal kicks. But the moment Gotham won possession back, she'd be sprinting forward ready for service.
"The more I play this position and the more games I hopefully get on the national team or with Arsenal, challenges are gonna happen," she acknowledged. "It's just trying to work through those and accept that adversity is what's going to make you better in the long run."
Nighswonger talks overcoming adversity
While she downplays any talk of strife between her and her former NWSL club, some of the adversity she mentioned did show on the pitch. Nighswonger didn't start in Gotham's final regular season game — nor their two postseason matches — with the club instead featuring WSL product Jess Carter and longtime veteran Mandy Freeman.
With Gotham players Carter, Freeman, and Brazilian defender Bruninha all under contract through 2025, Nighswonger's position had become a little crowded. She also had her work cut out for her on the USWNT, struggling against the Netherlands alongside her teammates before coming off at halftime in 2024's hard-fought final friendly.
But none of those factors spell disaster for a young player. Instead, they might simply signal a need for a change. And Nighswonger won't be without Arsenal allies to get her through it. Soon, she'll be suiting up beside fellow USWNT star Emily Fox, who has excelled since joining the Gunners in early 2024.
It's 'full steam ahead' with Arsenal
Nighswonger named Fox as an important point of contact during her transfer decision. She also mentioned her excitement to learn as much as possible from Katie McCabe, with the Ireland captain having run Arsenal's left flank for years. And off the pitch, she's ready for every new challenge.
She's eager for Fox to show her around London. Additionally, she can't wait for her first match at the Emirates, the women's side's primary home this season. She's already heard good things about player housing. And when touring the facilities for her medical checkup, she was awestruck by the English club's rich history.
"I've wanted to come here since I was seven because I watched the Premier League," she said. "It's always been a dream of mine."
Nighswonger is now laser-focused on getting up to speed, integrating herself into the locker room culture Arsenal has already established. From there, it's all about competing for trophies against the other ambitious European sides. With Chelsea catapulting ahead in the WSL standings and a slew of top squads vying for this year's UEFA Champions League title, Arsenal's success will surely be a team effort.
"We're going after trophies," Nighswonger told JWS. "I'm here to help the team win, and I know they want to win, too. So full steam ahead."
USWNT and Gotham defender Jenna Nighswonger is apparently UK-bound, with The Athletic reporting Monday that WSL side Arsenal will receive the 24-year-old in exchange for a $100,000 transfer fee.
The 2023 NWSL Rookie of the Year is technically under contract with Gotham through 2025, but the terms of the deal have reportedly been agreed upon by both teams.
A decorated pro debut
After going fourth overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft, the Florida State alum and 2021 NCAA champion helped Gotham earn their first-ever league title in 2023 before adding an Olympic gold medal to her resume with the USWNT last summer.
Despite her successes, a Gotham roster reshuffling saw Nighswonger's club minutes limited after she returned from Paris. The NJ/NY franchise tapped veteran defender Mandy Freeman for more playing time in the latter half of the 2024 NWSL season, plus boosted its backline by signing England international and five-time WSL champion Jess Carter to a multi-year contract last July.
Besides possibly offering Nighswonger an increase in competition minutes, a move to Arsenal would see the outside back link up with fellow USWNT star Emily Fox.
The two US defenders, as well as Australian left back Steph Catley and Ireland captain Katie McCabe, would diversify the defensive options for newly minted Arsenal head coach Renée Sleger as the fourth-place Gunners look to regain their grip on the league table.
Nighswonger joins growing trend of WSL-bound stars
If confirmed, Nighswonger will be the third NWSL player to defect to the WSL in the last 10 days, joining two-time NWSL Defender of the Year Naomi Girma and 2023 NWSL MVP Kerolin.
While the Brazilian forward and recent NC Courage standout joins Manchester City as a free agent, WSL leaders Chelsea FC had to shell out a record $1.1 million transfer fee to the San Diego to secure Girma's early exit from her Wave contract.
An age-old rivalry headlines the WSL this weekend, as second-place Arsenal gears up for Sunday's Stamford Bridge showdown against league leaders — and reported recipient of USWNT star Naomi Girma — Chelsea FC.
Both clubs are on an undefeated tear, with Chelsea yet to register a loss halfway through the 22-match 2024/25 season.
Meanwhile, newly minted head coach Renée Slegers's Arsenal will attempt to avenge the Gunners' lone loss — a 2-1 October stumble to first-season WSL boss Sonia Bompastor's Blues.
Chelsea and Arsenal's dominance goes beyond the WSL, as both sides also advanced to the semifinals of the League Cup with massive shutout wins this past Wednesday.
Wright shines spotlight on WSL investment debate
A product of a system that often places men's and women's teams under the same leadership, Chelsea and Arsenal have set the standard for the top-flight UK league — and cast other clubs in their shadow.
As some WSL teams continue to snag top international stars, those seeing departures risk falling by the wayside — putting into question a system that might be inhibiting the league's growth and parity.
"In England, with the women's league, I believe if you gave some owners the opportunity to back out of supporting the women's game, I think they would, simply because I feel like they're all about profit," Arsenal legend and outspoken women's football advocate Ian Wright told The World Economic Forum in Davros this week.
Wright acknowledged that the women's game, which suffered from a near 50-year FA ban, is still "playing catch up on every level, infrastructure, training, coaching and every level of development."
"Because of the past it wasn't allowed to be built up, so we are trying to do that now. So, it needs owners, individuals and corporates that will invest."
Currently, the English FA is considering expanding the lower tiers of the women's football pyramid to incentivize development and professionalization at the club level.
How to watch WSL rivals Chelsea vs. Arsenal in the London Derby
Sunday's WSL rivalry match pits the league-leading Blues against the Gunners at 7:25 AM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.