Aitana Bonmatí returned to action at Camp Nou on Sunday, coming on for the final 30 minutes of FC Barcelona's 7-0 win over Real Madrid in Liga F's El Clásico. The three-time Ballon d'Or winner is still working her way back from a broken leg, but teammate Clàudia Pina made sure she didn't need to shoulder goal-scoring responsibilities while doing so.
Clàudia Pina Opens Scoring for Barcelona
Heavy rain in Catalonia delayed kickoff by two hours, though it did nothing to slow Barcelona FC's attack once play began.
Pina struck in just the fourth minute and added three more goals before halftime, putting the match out of reach before 40,533 fans. Caroline Graham Hansen also scored before the break, while Ewa Pajor and Sydney Schertenleib found the net after the restart.
"This is what we work for," Pina said after the match. "It's been a difficult start to the season, but we made a statement today. Barça will always be Barça. We will keep going in the exact same manner."
Barça Quell Doubts After Major Stars Leave
Even without Alexia Putellas, who left after 14 seasons, and with Bonmatí limited to substitute minutes, Barcelona FC has maintained a perfect record through six Liga F matches. Real Madrid, meanwhile, took its first loss of the campaign.
With Pina filling the void up front and Bonmatí edging closer to full fitness, the gap between the two rivals feels as wide as ever.
Manchester City salvaged a point against Real Madrid on Thursday, with a Khadija "Bunny" Shaw second-half equalizer keeping the club unbeaten through its early UEFA Women's Champions League stretch. The 1-1 result at Joie Stadium marked Matchday 2 of the UWCL league phase, leaving both sides still searching for a first win after opening-match draws.
Man City, Real Madrid Trade Goals Early in Match
Colombian national Linda Caicedo put Real Madrid ahead in the 29th minute, finishing off a counter after Mary Fowler hit the woodwork early for City. However, Shaw's 51st-minute response subsequently tied the game and rewrote the record books.
The goal marked Shaw's eighth in UWCL tournament play, moving her past Georgia Stanway as the club's top scorer in European competition.
But despite the leveled scoreline, Real Madrid nearly snatched the win late.
Referee Collision Saves Point for City
Silvia Cristobal's effort from the edge of the box flew past City keeper Ayaka Yamashita and into the top corner. But officials pulled it back after determining that referee Silvia Gasperotti had unintentionally stepped into Beth Mead's path, preventing her from reaching the ball before Cristobal's strike.
The decision preserved a draw that extends City's unbeaten run to six matches across all competitions, though Andrée Jeglertz's side will want all three points when Champions League play resumes.
Up next, Manchester City hosts Arsenal in WSL action on October 4th.
This year’s Champions League is taking shape, as Tuesday’s third qualifying draw unveiled 2026/27 paths for Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Hot off a busy transfer window, Chelsea drew Spanish side Real Sociedad, while Real Madrid pulled Dutch titan Ajax, PSG landed Bundesliga’s Eintracht Frankfurt, and two-time winner Wolfsburg got Serie A runner-up Inter.
The winners enter the 18-team League Phase alongside automatic qualifiers Barcelona, Lyon, Arsenal, and Manchester City, while the losing teams drop to the Europa Cup draw.
There’s financial incentive to advance in Champions League play. Each League Phase club earns a guaranteed €505,000, plus €60,000 for every win, €20,000 for each draw, and €10,000 to €180,000 based on final standings.
The Champions League third qualifying round kicks off August 26th (Paramount+).
Barcelona advanced to the Champions League semifinals with a 6-0 win over Real Madrid on Thursday, completing a 12-2 aggregate rout in their quarterfinal matchup.
Entering the UWCL quarterfinal's second leg with a 6-2 lead, Barcelona took control early and never let Real Madrid back into the tie. The hosts built a 4-0 halftime lead, before adding two more after the break to put a stamp on the rare Champions League El Clásico.
Caroline Graham Hansen led Barca's attack with two goals while Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes, Ewa Pajor, and Esmee Brugts each added a tally. The result marked Barcelona's eighth straight Champions League semifinal appearance.
Who else? 👑
— W Golazo (@WGolazo) April 2, 2026
Alexia Putellas becomes the first Spanish woman to reach 30 #UWCL goals 💐
Stream every UEFA Women’s Champions League game on @paramountplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/8UwevBM5rt
Putellas reached multiple milestones in the win. She scored her 30th Champions League goal in her 500th appearance for Spanish powerhouse. She additionally become the first player to score for Barcelona at Camp Nou in both the 2020/21 and 2025/26 UWCL competitions.
Real Madrid entered the match hunting comeback after last week's 6-2 loss. But Barcelona limited chances and dictated possession from the start, controlling both ends of the pitch.
"Barcelona just ran over the top of us," Madrid coach Pau Quesada told reporters. "I think they were very superior to us in all areas. We knew that this was a team which, when they have their night, there's little you can do."
The win continues Barcelona's dominant 2025/26 run, racking up six wins against its Liga F rival this season across all competitions. It also keeps the club on track to capture another European title, after ceding last year's UWCL championship to WSL side Arsenal.
Champions League Semis Pit Barcelona Against Bayern Munich
Barcelona will next face Bayern Munich in the UWCL semifinals, with the first leg set to kick off on April 24th, live on Paramount+.
The winners will advance to the May 23rd Champions League final in Oslo, Norway.
With the 18-team UWCL league phase now done and dusted, the 12 clubs still standing discovered their paths to the Final in the 2025/26 Champions League knockouts draw on Thursday.
While the top four clubs — No. 1 Barcelona, No. 2 OL Lyonnes, No. 3 Chelsea FC, and No. 4 Bayern Munich — punched their way into March's quarterfinals behind elite league-phase performances, the remaining eight teams must battle in February's playoffs in order to advance.
Thursday's draw has reigning champs No. 5 Arsenal facing Belgian side No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven in the playoffs, but the Gunners then face a difficult road in the UWCL knockouts, staring down a potential quarterfinal clash with WSL rivals Chelsea as eight-time UWCL winners OL Lyonnes looms on the same side of the semifinal bracket.
Elsewhere, No. 7 Real Madrid have an opportunity to make UWCL history should they win their playoff tie against No. 10 Paris FC, setting up the tournament's first-ever El Clásico with a possible quarterfinal match against perennial winners Barcelona.
How to watch the 2025/26 Champions League Playoffs
The first-leg of the 2025/26 UWCL playoffs kick off with No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven hosting No. 5 Arsenal at 12:45 PM ET on February 11th, with No. 7 Real Madrid visiting No. 10 Paris FC at 3 PM ET.
The following day, No. 8 Juventus will take on hosts No. 9 Wolfsburg at 12:45 PM ET before No. 11
Atlético de Madrid faces the visiting No. 6 Manchester United at 3 PM ET.
All 2025/26 Champions League matches will stream live on Paramount+.
The UWCL's first-ever league phase wraps on Wednesday, when all 18 2025/26 Champions League clubs will square off in a simultaneous afternoon kick-off finale.
Top finishers No. 1 Barcelona and No. 2 OL Lyonnes already secured automatic spots in the quarterfinals, with similarly unbeaten No. 3 Chelsea looking to claim their spot with a result on Wednesday.
The fourth guaranteed pathway will be tougher fight, however, as just three points separate No. 4 Juventus and No. 11 Atletico Madrid on the Champions League table.
While the top four teams will advance directly into the March quarterfinals, clubs finishing fifth through 12th will instead move on to the European competition's first-ever knockout playoffs in February to determine the final quartet of quarterfinalists.
No. 4 Bayern Munich, No. 5 Real Madrid, No. 6 Juventus, No. 7 Wolfsburg, No. 8 Arsenal, No. 9 Manchester United, and No. 10 Paris FC have all netted enough points to at least make the playoffs, leave three teams — Atlético de Madrid, No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven, and No. 13 Vålerenga — battling the final two spots.
Amid Wednesday's high-stakes matchups, Wolfsburg will look to break into the upper ranks against Chelsea, Juventus will try to hold off Manchester United, and 2024/25 champs Arsenal will shoot for a result against Oud-Heverlee Leuven.
How to watch Wednesday's 2025/26 Champions League action
Wednesday's final UWCL league-phase matches will be cutthroat battles for tournament seeding.
The action kicks off at 3 PM ET, with live coverage on Paramount+.
With just one league-phase matchday left, a trio of unbeaten clubs — Barcelona, OL Lyonnes, and Chelsea — stand alone atop the 2025/26 Champions League table, leading the 18-team pack after all three squads notched midweek wins.
No. 1 Barcelona and No. 2 OL Lyonnes each have 13 points, with the Spanish contenders earning the edge over their French counterparts with a +15 goal differential.
Meanwhile, Chelsea sits in third with 11 points following a 6-0 drubbing of No. 17 AS Roma on Wednesday, though the Blues will need a result against No. 7 Wolfsburg next week to secure a spot in March's quarterfinals with a top-four finish.
Though the byes into the quarterfinals are still up for grabs, with just one matchday left before the knockouts, several of Europe's biggest teams have qualified for February's playoffs.
Wolfsburg alongside No. 10 Paris FC, No. 9 Manchester United, No. 8 Arsenal, No. 6 Juventus, No. 5 Real Madrid, and No. 4 Bayern Munich have already racked up enough points to advance out of the league phase.
Three clubs — No. 13 Vålerenga, No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven, and No. 11 Atlético de Madrid — are fighting for the two remaining playoff tickets, with December 17th's simultaneous kickoff set to determine the winners.
How to watch the final 2025/26 Champions League league-phase matches
Determining both the first four UWCL quarterfinalists and the eight teams entering the playoffs, the final league-phase matchday will see all 18 clubs kicking off at 3 PM ET next Wednesday.
All 2025/26 Champions League matches will stream live on Paramount+.
Chelsea FC are vying for a bit of UWCL revenge this week, as the perennial Champions League contenders take on 2024/25 finalists Barcelona in the 2025/26 campaign's league-phase slate on Thursday.
Last season's runners-up have ousted Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals two years in a row, with Barcelona going on to win three of the last five tournament titles.
Unfortunately for the Blues, Barcelona have never lost at Chelsea FC's Stamford Bridge home pitch — and they're one of just three 2025/26 Champions League clubs to maintain a winning record so far this season.
Chelsea won't be the only WSL titan to host a Spanish side this week, as reigning UWCL champs Arsenal look to bounce back from a frustrating 1-2 league-phase start against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
"I think it's easier to get to the top than staying at the top," Arsenal coach Renée Slegers said of her team's losing run. "We have high expectations on ourselves because we know what we're capable of. At the same time, I know that the squad is really good at being in the moment, taking it game to game, and preparing as well as possible to be able to execute."
How to watch Arsenal, Chelsea in 2025/26 Champions League play this week
In their fourth of six total league-phase matches, Arsenal will kick off against Real Madrid at 3 PM ET on Wednesday before Chelsea hosts Barcelona at the same time on Thursday.
All 2025/26 Champions League matches air live on Paramount+.
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.