UWCL talking points: PSG fight back; can Chelsea win it all?،
Day three of the 2023-24 Women's Champions League group stage is over and we're halfway through as things start to get really interesting.
Swedes BK Häcken are the main surprise, still leading Group D after a 0-0 draw against Chelsea, while Paris FC recovers with a 2-1 victory in the face of a disappointing match Real Madrid will relaunch their campaign.
Group C is wide open since Bayern Munich drew with Ajax Amsterdam and Paris Saint-Germain wins its first victory, 2-1 Roma. Barcelona secured a 6-0 victory Rosengath of group A, while Benfica secured a 1-0 victory Eintracht Frankfurt which puts them in pole position for second place. Elsewhere, Lyon beats SK Brann 3-1 in Group B, but Slavia Prague and St. Pölten failed to close the gap to second place by more than a point with a 0-0 draw.
We asked our writers Sophie Lawson, Sam Marsden and Connor O'Halloran to answer some of our burning questions.
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1. We're halfway there, so what's your biggest takeaway so far?
Sophie Lawson: I am sad that we will lose the group stage of the Champions League as UEFA strives to adopt a new “Swiss” format for the men's and women's tournaments. We're only in the third year of the reformatted women's competition and the group stage has been a blast since its introduction, with each season only bringing a fiercer level of competition.
This season has only added to the twists and turns, with teams seemingly just one result away from getting back into contention. In this series of matches, we saw Benfica edge Eintracht Frankfurt; Ajax continues to get results with draw against Bayern Munich; PSG put their first points on the board, which further complicated Group C; and Paris FC take their first victory while the underdog Häcken is still in a fantastic position.
It's not quite “anyone can beat anyone” in the group stage — especially when we look at Slavia Prague's difficulties or Rosengård's delay — but if we look at the nature unexpected from Group D, it is clear that there are few. easy to play games.
Sam Marsden: As expected, Barcelona and Lyon are a step ahead of the rest of the field. After three matches, the two have three victories, 14 goals scored and only one conceded. If the draw does not interfere, it is difficult to imagine them not reaching the final.
What is interesting, however, is the increased level of competition among the pursuers. The signs were there with Arsenal and Wolfsburg collapsing in the qualifying phase, with Group C and Group D further emphasizing the point now.
Connor O'Halloran: Real Madrid don't have the same history in the Champions League as the men in the women's format, but this season it seems to be another step backwards. Since merging with CD Tacón in 2020, Madrid has played three tournaments. First, they were eliminated 8-3 on aggregate in a Clasico quarter-final against rivals Barcelona, followed by a third-place finish in the group stage last season.
This year is another unwelcome retirement. Madrid sit bottom of Group D after Thursday's loss to Paris FC and have just one point from three matches. This is despite a squad that includes eight of Spain's 2023 Women's World Cup winning teams, such as Olga Carmona, Athenea del Castillo and Ivana Andrés, as well as Golden Girl nominee Linda Caicedo and Hayley Raso, shortlisted for the Golden Ball.
Nobody expects Madrid to compete for the title straight away, but they should do better than that.
2. Chelsea suffered their first WSL defeat this weekend, but do they have enough to go all the way in Europe and win it in Emma Hayes' final season?
Lawson: What we've seen so often from Chelsea over the years is an ability to bounce back from defeats and attack in their next few games, but that response wasn't really there against a very organized team by Hacken.
In the 4-1 victory against Paris FC last month, we saw the Blues regain a little more bite in attack, but everything was a little flat against the surprise leaders of the group. I think romantics will want to see Hayes lift the one piece of silverware that eluded her highly decorated Chelsea team before taking charge of the USWNT this summer – even though, as she is keen to point out, she was an assistant . Vic Akers' first-team coach for the historic Arsenal team that won the Champions League in 2007.
Of course, it would be a nice parting gift from him to Chelsea fans, but even beyond navigating this now tricky group, the path to the final in San Mamés will be strewn with pitfalls. If the Blues are to do what they have never done before, the football needs to be better than what we have seen so far.
O'Halloran: Hayes won everything at Chelsea and the 2021 final defeat to Barcelona will still hurt; Last season's 2-1 aggregate elimination against the Catalans in the semi-final probably does too, when Hayes claimed: “The best team lost.”
As Hayes' farewell season unfolds, I wonder if this Champions League campaign could become a binding or breaking force. Chelsea players shouldn't need motivation anymore, but maybe winning for their beloved manager just might.
Chelsea haven't been good enough so far and may not be instilling the same fear in their opponents as in previous years, but the Champions League group stage has never been about that. It's a hurdle to clear, and so far, they're on the right track… even if Häcken eclipses them at the top of the group. The Blues will need to warm up at the right time in the round of 16, but perhaps this year they will have an extra narrative to take that extra step.
Marsden: I don't think Chelsea have enough to beat Barcelona or Lyon to complete Hayes' fairytale farewell. However, they are one of the few teams who could be considered underdogs if they obtain a favorable draw in the round of 16.
The key to that will be winning the group to avoid Barça and Lyon in the quarter-finals, so Thursday's draw against Häcken was a setback in that sense.
Of course, to win the competition they will probably have to beat Barca and Lyon, or both, but a quarter-final victory against another opponent would give them more time before facing one of the big two.
3. Which team ranked third or fourth do you think has the best chance of making it now?
Lawson: With the exception of St. Pölten and Slavia, who didn't really take their chance to close the gap with Brann in Group B, the third-placed teams (and even PSG, fourth in a tight Group C ) are right in the mix.
Before the group stage, many were eagerly waiting to see if Paris FC could continue their giant killing streak after knocking out Arsenal and Wolfsburg in the qualifying rounds. Two defeats from two suggests not, but we finally saw some of their best football against Real Madrid on Thursday. It will be a tough task to qualify ahead of in-form Hacken or Chelsea, but another performance like next week's in Madrid and top of Group D will be really interesting heading into January.
Barcelona will be top of Group A and Rosengård is far behind, but next week's match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Benfica is important. Frankfurt have tended to blow hot and cold in recent years, so it was no surprise to see them strive for victory at the Estádio da Luz. But if they manage to secure a home win, then the race for second place will be wide open.
However, we are in Group C. Two points separate Bayern (1st) from PSG (4th), and we have the impression that it's a group for anyone. Next week, Ajax will look to take more points from Bayern, while Roma will look for revenge against PSG. This is a bunch of chaos and I'm sure there will be at least one more twist before it's over.
Marsden: I'm leaving for Eintracht Frankfurt. It will be between the Germans and Benfica second place in Group A behind Barça. Benfica dominated the meeting between the two teams in Portugal this week, but Frankfurt will be keen to try their luck in the remaining matches.
Their two winnable matches against Benfica and Rosengård both came at home, where they were very good in the first half against Barça before finally succumbing to the might of the Catalans. It could ultimately come down to Thursday's match against Benfica at Deutsche Bank Park.
O'Halloran: Everything points to Group C. The final positions of Bayern, Roma, Ajax and PSG can end in several ways.
It will only take one mistake from Bayern, who failed to take advantage of Lea Schüller's opener in the second minute and drew 1-1 against Ajax at home on Thursday, to radically change the outlook for the standings . PSG came away with two defeats from their first two, but a victory against Roma opened things up again.
It's up to everyone to win…or lose.
