The second round of Women's Champions League qualifying begins Wednesday with teams such as Manchester United, Brann, Glasgow City and Roma entering the competition. Winners of Wednesday's semi-finals will progress to Saturday's finals to contest a place in mid-September's final qualifying round. Eight players are singled out to watch this week, including Manchester United's Julia Zigiotti, PSV's Riola Xhemaili and Rosengard's Oona Sevenius. Zigiotti brings experience from Bayern Munich and international tournaments, excelling in transition play, pressing and work rate. Xhemaili arrives at PSV after a permanent move, bringing goal and assist output and match-winning experience. Sevenius impressed at Euro 2025 with a notable finish against Norway.
The Swede was United's other marquee signing this summer and brings a wealth of experience. The tenacious defensive midfielder arrived after a double-winning season with Bayern Munich and was at the heart of her country's run to the quarter-finals in Switzerland. Zigiotti will be familiar to Women's Super League fans from her two-year spell at Brighton. Her key qualities lie in her ability to link the transition from defence to attack as well as her quality in the press and work ethic. Her introduction will perhaps allow Dominique Janssen to return to her more natural defensive position.
The midfielder wrote her name into the Swiss football history books this summer with a 92nd-minute equaliser against Finland that sent the hosts to their first European Championship quarter-final. Xhemaili made a permanent move to PSV after a successful loan from Wolfsburg last season and will be looking to take another big scalp with the Eredivisie side when they face United on Wednesday. She scored 10 goals and provided six assists in the last campaign and has become an integral part of Roeland ten Berge's side.
Euro 2025 spectators will remember Sevenius's impact in an exciting Finland team. Her beautiful finish against Norway on her first start at a major tournament and the celebration that followed marked the 21-year-old as one to watch on the European stage.
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