"CHELSEA (B+) They might have only finished 12th, but sealing a spot in the knockout-phase playoffs would have been beyond the Belgian minnows' wildest dreams in their first-ever UWCL tournament. A win over FC Twente and draws with PSG, Paris FC and Roma set them up for success. They even managed to keep Barcelona and Arsenal to only three goals."
"A debut UWCL campaign for United, and what a debut it was. Three tight wins from their first three games against Valerenga, Atletico and PSG set up them for success, and a 1-0 win over Juventus on the final day meant that defeats to Wolfsburg and OL Lyonnes didn't matter too much. A paper-thin squad was able to seal a favorable playoff draw by finishing sixth, and that is some achievement."
"They topped the table, which was entirely expected given their 7-1 thrashing of Bayern on matchday 1, and a goal difference of plus-17 from their five wins showed their superiority. But a 1-1 draw with Chelsea suggests they could be vulnerable as the tournament goes on, and they are going to have to find a way to cope without injured star midfielders Patri and Aitana Bonmati."
The first 18-team UEFA Women's Champions League group stage completed after six matchdays in a single league-phase table, yielding 12 teams advancing to the knockout rounds. Barcelona topped the table with five wins, a 7-1 opening thrashing of Bayern and a plus-17 goal difference, though a 1-1 draw with Chelsea and injuries to midfielders Patri and Aitana Bonmati raise concerns. Manchester United produced an impressive debut with three early wins, a final-day victory over Juventus and a sixth-place finish to secure a favorable playoff draw despite a thin squad. OH Leuven, in their first UWCL, finished 12th and sealed a playoff spot with key results. Several other clubs received mixed grades across the table.
Read at ESPN.com
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