On Wednesday 22 July, Wrexham made their first ever appearance in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) and their second against Dinamo Riga this weekend. Competing in the qualifying rounds, they pushed towards their dream of Champions League football next season.

For Wrexham, this is a historic achievement and remains an incredible opportunity for Welsh football as a whole. However, they fell short in the second fixture.

As soon as I stepped off the plane in Oslo, Caroline Graham Hansen, Barcelona’s super winger, greeted fans to her home city. Every escalator, billboard, metro station and major attraction had her, in partnership with Pepsi clad in an inspired shirt, shouting the strapline “Game on, Oslo!” rallying the city to get behind the biggest fixture of the European women's football calendar happening on Nordic soil. 

The UEFA Women’s Champions League final between Barcelona Femeni and OL Lyoness is a blockbuster event. A narrative that spans 8 years starting at the Catalonian side’s first final, lost 4-1, to their third where Lyon sealed their record 8th continental title in 2022. An historic night in a packed-out San Mames in 2024 sealed Barcelona's first victory against the French team, completing the quadruple that year, cementing themselves as continental giants. Under the lights in Oslo, an almost full circle 4-0 win officially confirms that Barcelona have taken over Lyon’s reign of terror over Europe cementing their 4th title in 6 years. 

The UEFA Women’s Champions League is hotting up, and soon, we will know the final 4 teams battling it out for European glory.

The Quarter-final second leg matches take place over two nights (Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd April), with each night providing two thrilling encounters.

Arsenal Women produced a commanding performance in Belgium as they defeated OH Leuven 3-0 in their final UEFA Women’s Champions League league-phase match at a sold-out Den Dreef Stadium (attendance of 9,285).  

Goals from Olivia Smith, Beth Mead, and an own goal by Saar Janssen secured a fourth European victory of the campaign and confirmed the Gunners’ place in the February knockout play-offs.

Despite the convincing win, Arsenal were forced to settle for fifth place in the league phase, finishing one point behind fourth-placed Bayern Munich and missing out on an automatic qualification for the quarter-finals.

Chelsea Women ran riot at Stamford Bridge in their second match of the newly revamped Women's Champions League group stage. 

Goals from Sandy Baltimore and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd fired up the Blues, with Erin Cuthbert and Alyssa Thompson sealing the deal in the second half. It was a much-improved performance from head coach, Sonia Bompastor’s side, after the team drew 2-2 at FC Twente last time out.

Starting with a back three, Bompastor relied on Millie Bright, Nathalie Björn, and Baltimore to provide a strong defensive line, with Aggie Beever-Jones leading the attack.