"The inaugural UEFA Women's Champions League play-offs get underway on Wednesday, ushering in a new chapter in the competition's format and raising the stakes for the eight teams in the mix. The sides that finished between fifth and 12th in the league phase now face a high-pressure, two-legged battle to progress to the knockouts and with little room for error, the play-offs present contrasting motivations."
"Established powers such as Arsenal and Wolfsburg are aiming to reaffirm their place among Europe's elite, while Manchester United and OH Leuven hope to rewrite history and extend what has already been a standout debut campaign. Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid are driven by the chance to recapture former glory, each pushing to surpass their best-ever runs in the competition."
The inaugural UEFA Women's Champions League play-offs introduce two-legged, high-pressure ties for teams finishing fifth to 12th in the league phase, with quarterfinal spots decided at the end of March. Established clubs like Arsenal, Wolfsburg, and Juventus aim to reassert continental standing, while Manchester United and debutants OH Leuven seek historic progress after standout league campaigns. Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid pursue deeper runs to recapture previous success. Many play-off opponents already met during the league phase, but the winter break and transfer window have altered squads, form, and momentum. Winners advance to face automatic qualifiers Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and OL Lyonnes.
Read at ESPN.com
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