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Futbol W: UWCL Round of 16 Recap + Quarter-Finals Predictions + Top 5 Goals of the Playoff Phase
20 Feb 2026
Chapter 1: What are the highlights of the UWCL Round of 16 matchups?
Hello, hello everyone and welcome to the latest edition of Football W. This one all about the UEFA Women's Champions League. I'm Alexis Yunus alongside my girl Ali Krieger and my other girl Natalia Estrella who is finally here in studio. We cannot wait to get into this because Ladies, the quarterfinals are set and some very intriguing matchups.
Plus, might I say, history has been made by Manchester United women.
Chapter 2: How did Arsenal perform against Leuven in the playoffs?
Just finding our way over into the quarterfinals like I had anything to do with it. Just cheering at home, but still really good stuff that we're going to talk about. Plus, Juve. Juventus, dark horses of many, Alli Krieger, have crashed out in quite spectacular fashion. We're going to talk about all of that later, but let's start things off with the defending champions, shall we?
Chapter 3: What factors contributed to Juventus' exit from the tournament?
Arsenal, because they were in action hosting Leuven in this playoff game. And let me tell you, it was a typical English night, wasn't it, Ali, with rain just absolutely hosing it down. The Gunners were 4-0 up on aggregate. 23rd minute is where we pick things up. The keeper gets a hand to it, but it was a nice finish here from Rousseau. Yeah, brilliant finish.
Obviously, tough circumstances regarding the field and the pitch, but both teams have to play. She finds the back of the net early on. 28-minute movement went on the attack in this one. There was a cross here and it went to the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed eventually, Natalia, because it was offside.
Chapter 4: What are the predictions for the quarter-finals of the UWCL?
Yeah, it was a sad situation, right? They were celebrating so loud this goal and unfortunately this wasn't good.
Yeah, Lou Man could have used all the help they could get in this one. 64th minute is where we get this one now. Caitlyn Ford gets in the box, she turns, but she's brought down and a penalty is awarded to Arsenal.
yeah this was definitely a penalty um just you know the the the defensive you know the lack of quality there was you know she was able to get that get that penalty kick and put the ball in the back of the net and then once again alessio russo here brilliant positioning this is what she does best she's able to turn center backs and the fast trigger just side netting great goal
Great goal and great win for the Gunners. They eventually advanced 7-1 on aggregate. And the lady we saw right there, Alessia Russo, she is in quite the race here for the top scorer of this competition. Two goals ahead of Caroline Weir.
Chapter 5: How do Arsenal and Chelsea match up in the upcoming quarter-final?
And Alessia Russo managed to catch up with Farrah Williams and Alex Scott.
Alessia, another big performance on the score sheet once again. What's going on at the moment with all this confidence within yourself as well? I mean, we're playing well, we're playing good football and I think that breeds confidence in everyone and we're winning as well. We're grinding out results in different ways and yeah, everyone's contributing in different ways.
So I think the feeling around the whole team in general is just really positive. But what is it about your game this season? Because it feels like you are, you're popping up in different spaces, the way you're turning, holding the ball. Is there certain things that you've been working on? Yeah, we work on loads all the time.
Chapter 6: What does Wolfsburg need to do to beat Lyon in the quarter-finals?
I've been trying to work on staying central as long as possible. I think when I was younger and more in the nine or in the ten, I'd drift a little bit wider and I want to be in the box scoring as many goals as I can. So that's something that I'm always working on and varying my game, coming to feet. I like the ball at my feet.
I like holding the ball up, but also trying to make a few more runs in behind to stretch their back line. So Yeah, trying to work on lots at the moment.
What do you think it is that has clicked, you know, after the new year coming back? It seems to have all clicked, but what do you think it is?
To be honest, I probably can't put my finger on it, but we're training at a really high level.
Chapter 7: What are Manchester United's chances against Bayern Munich?
And I think, like I said, there's just a positive feel around the team. Everyone's got the confidence to do things, whether it's playing out from the back or turning on the ball in midfield and setting up an attack. I think everyone's just in a good place and everyone's fit and wanting to contribute. And yeah, I think people are just happy playing football.
And that's when I think you get the best results.
Well, as Alessia Russo said, Arsenal just managing to grind out the wins, 11 wins in their last 13. So, Ali, are they peaking at the right time after all of the doubts that they were showing on the early half of the season? Yeah, for sure. They've also had so much success domestically, right, in the FA Cup and then WSL itself.
And then having to play in and amongst the Champions League in addition to all of those games.
Chapter 8: What were the top moments from the UWCL playoff phase?
And so they're forced to change the roster and use every single player. So the depth is key. What Alessia Russo was saying there, that everyone's fit, everyone's happy, everyone's healthy. They're playing really well at the moment together. They're connecting. Together, the relationships look really strong on the field.
And then individually, they have that confidence and they're able to switch up the attack and play a little bit of unpredictability.
But specifically in her game, what has been super attractive is just her willingness to want to get on the ball and to get into these little tight spaces and do well against a lot of teams who have been, you know, putting a lot defensively in and around the box to make it difficult for her to score goals.
But she's been super efficient and she doesn't need a lot of chances to put the ball in the back of the net. So that's been something that's been really valuable about her game. And then also when she plays against most of these teams, you find her coming back to get the ball, receive it in midfield and spin these center backs that she's brilliant at.
And I think that's what's been one of the most attractive pieces about her game and why she's been able to get herself into these positions, goal scoring positions that have been super successful for Arsenal as a whole.
And as we showed that graphic that Alessia Russo is at the top right now in terms of top scorers in the UEFA Women's Champions League, we're going to speak specifically about her a lot more now. But Natalia, when you look tactically at this Arsenal, 11 wins in the last 13 games, as Ali says, it looks like they're peaking at the right time. Tactically, though,
What have you noticed that can prove to us that maybe this is the real deal, that they can actually carry this form on and it's not maybe just a hot streak?
Yeah, I think they're tactically more sharp in this part of the season. I think they are more consistent in scoring goals. And I think they are more better and clinical in the final third, right? The chances that they create, they are now scoring that before they have more problems to score. I think the passing accuracy as well has been much, much better.
And I see this feeling about they are playing more as a team. Probably before they needed some individual players. And now I see, like Alessia Russo said in the interview, right? Okay, everybody is contributing and I think everybody is helping the team and I think you can see now Arsenal as a group.
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