Arsenal and Juventus powered their way into the Women’s Champions League group stage on Thursday, delivering dominant performances against their respective opponents.
Arsenal, who narrowly missed out on last season’s group stage, showcased their strength at home, dismantling Sweden’s Haecken with a resounding 4-0 victory. Lia Waelti broke the deadlock midway through the first half, and the Swedish side struggled to recover. Mariona Caldentey doubled the lead before the break, and the momentum continued into the second half as Beth Mead quickly added a third goal. Norwegian midfielder Frida Maanum capped off the dominant performance with a fourth goal, securing a 4-1 aggregate win and sending Arsenal into the group stage.
Juventus, meanwhile, added to their impressive first-leg lead against Paris St Germain. The Italian side scored early in the second minute, building upon their two-goal advantage. While PSG managed to pull one back from the penalty spot early in the second half, Barbara Bonansea struck again for Juventus, sealing a 5-2 aggregate win and their place in the group stage.
The night was also filled with other exciting results. AS Roma delivered a thrilling 7-2 away win against Servette, completing a 10-3 aggregate victory. Manchester City, last season’s English Super League runner-up, showed their strength with a 3-0 home victory against Paris FC, completing an 8-0 aggregate rout and securing their spot in the group stage.
The draw for the group stage, which will divide the 16 qualifiers into four groups of four, is scheduled for Friday at 1100 GMT. The upcoming group stage promises intense competition as these top teams from across Europe battle for continental supremacy.
