Lyon and Chelsea strengthened their bids for direct qualification to the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals with emphatic victories on Tuesday, each maintaining their unbeaten records in the group stage.
Lyon made it three wins from three with a commanding 3-1 victory over Wolfsburg, led by a first-half double from Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg. The seven-time Ballon d’Or nominee struck twice before captain Wendie Renard converted a penalty to seal the result. Wolfsburg managed only a late consolation through Dutch forward Lineth Beerensteyn, as the French giants reinforced their status as tournament frontrunners.
The night initially looked promising for French clubs overall, but Paris FC suffered heartbreak deep into stoppage time. After Lorena Azzaro’s first-half penalty had given them the lead, Caroline Weir struck eight minutes into added time to earn Real Madrid a 1-1 draw — denying Paris FC a vital victory in their group campaign.
Meanwhile, Chelsea continued their strong form with a 6-0 demolition of St Pölten, leaving the Austrian side without a single point after three matches. Dutch midfielder Wieke Kaptein opened the scoring in the 13th minute before American forward Catarina Macario struck twice — including a penalty early in the second half.
Returning from long-term injury, Sam Kerr marked her first start since December 2023 with a brace of her own, while an own goal from defender Lisa Ebert completed the rout in a one-sided encounter away from home.
In Tuesday’s early fixture, Valerenga secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Roma, courtesy of a goal from Stine Brekken, leaving the Italian side bottom of their group and still searching for their first points after three straight defeats.
With both Lyon and Chelsea showcasing depth and attacking fluency, the competition’s two heavyweights appear firmly on course for the quarterfinals, setting the stage for an intriguing battle for European supremacy.
