MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid will try to close in on a first semifinal appearance in the Women’s Champions League when it hosts three-time champion Barcelona in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Manchester United will make its debut in the last eight against Bayern Munich.
Barcelona will try to make it to a record-extending eighth consecutive semifinal appearance, and a sixth straight final in the competition that it has dominated in recent years.
The Catalan club is playing in its 11th straight quarterfinal and seeks to reclaim the title it lost to Arsenal last season. Barcelona topped the league phase with an unbeaten campaign that included 20 goals scored and three against.
Madrid, in its second consecutive quarterfinal, was eliminated by Arsenal in the last eight last season. If finished seventh in the league phase.
Man United has been thriving in its first European experience since a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in qualifying in the 2023-24 season. Bayern recovered from a 7-1 loss at Barcelona at the start of the league phase to finish fourth and qualify for the quarterfinals for the eighth time in 10 seasons.
On Tuesday, Arsenal defeated English rival Chelsea 3-1 in their first leg of the quarterfinals. Wolfsburg took a 1-0 lead over record eight-time champion Lyon in a meeting of two of the competition’s most storied names.
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