Chelsea secure Women's Champions League quarter-final spot with dramatic win over Wolfsburg as Manchester United rise in group standings
Chelsea defeated Wolfsburg 2-1 away to secure automatic qualification for the Women's Champions League quarter-finals. Alexandra Popp gave Wolfsburg an early lead before Lucy Bronze equalised from a set piece for Chelsea. The winning goal came from Sam Kerr with a headed finish. Chelsea avoided the February playoffs and will compete in the quarter-finals in March. A late Wolfsburg shot hit the crossbar in the 94th minute, nearly salvaging a draw. Meanwhile, Manchester United beat Juventus 1-0 in Turin with a goal from Jess Park. This victory lifted United to sixth in their group and placed them among the top two seeds for the playoff round. Arsenal also won against Leuven but will still enter the playoffs. All nine final-round group-stage matches were played simultaneously on 17 December 2025 in Wolfsburg, Germany, and Turin, Italy. The knockout draw is scheduled for Thursday. United and Arsenal are the top two seeds for the playoff round, while Barcelona and Lyon are positioned so they cannot meet before the final. Chelsea, seeded third, and Bayern Munich, seeded fourth, lie in opposite halves and cannot face the top two seeds before the semi-finals.
