By OkayGoal 
In this week’s women’s soccer news, we got the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal matchups; Jess Fishlock joins Wales coaching staff; Chelsea gets a big win over Manchester United; and more!
High of the Week
This week, we learned the matchups for the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal round. The first leg will take place on March 24 and 25, and then the second leg will be on April 1 and 2. The matchups will be Wolfsburg/Lyon, Arsenal/Chelsea, Real Madrid/FC Barcelona, and Manchester United/Bayern Munich.
The round is highlighted by the London derby. Arsenal are the defending champions, but in order to continue their quest to repeat, they’ll have to go through WSL foe Chelsea. It’s the first time that two teams from the same city will play against each other in the tournament. In their most recent match against each other in January, Arsenal got a 2-0 win, and it was their first win at Chelsea in eight years.
There’s also the Real Madrid and Barcelona rivalry match to look forward to, but it will be a really difficult test for Madrid. In 22 total matches, Barcelona has won all but one. What could make this game interesting though is that these teams will have to play against each other three times in the span of nine days between the two Champions League matches and then a Primera Division clash.
Low of the Week
In Arsenal’s Women’s FA Cup match against Bristol City, Olivia Smith suffered a tough injury. Despite the 3-0 win, there is a lot of concern within the Gunners for Smith’s health, and we’re hoping for the best. The young star went down in the 53rd minute with a head injury after knocking heads with another player. In a scary scene, Smith required a lot of medical attention on the field and was eventually placed in a neck brace before being stretchered off the field and then transported to the hospital for further evaluation. There hasn’t been an update given on the forward’s condition, but we’re wishing her a speedy recovery.
News of the Week
Jess Fishlock will join the Wales coaching staff for the upcoming international break as a technical assistant. Fishlock recently retired from international soccer last year after spending 19 years representing Wales at the senior level. She became the first player to reach 150 appearances for Wales and ended her playing career with 165 caps and 48 goals. Fishlock hasn’t retired from playing altogether as she’s signed through the 2026 season with the Seattle Reign. Adding Fishlock to the coaching staff at any capacity is huge for Rhian Wilkinson and Wales. The midfielder spent many years as the captain of her national team, and keeping her around the players to help shape the future of this team is huge.
Game of the Week
Chelsea and Manchester United faced off against each other in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round, and the match went down to the wire. The game would stay scoreless until the 78th minute when Sam Kerr found the back of the net, and it looked like Chelsea was on their way to a win. The lead didn’t last long, though, with United finding their goal in the 81st minute from Simi Awujo, bringing it back level to force extra time. An unlikely goalscorer, Naomi Girma, found the game-winner for Chelsea in the 99th minute to book their spot in the next round. Chelsea deserved to advance as they controlled much of the game. The Blues had 63% of the possession and took eight shots on goal, but Phallon Tullis-Joyce played terrifically for United in goal, making it difficult for Chelsea.
Chelsea’s quarterfinal matchup will take place on April 5, with their opponent to be determined.
Return of the Week
Mary Fowler made her first start for Manchester City this weekend in close to a year after being sidelined with an ACL tear that she suffered in April 2025. The young Matildas star is working her way back into full game fitness.
Kadeisha Buchanan also made her return to the pitch this weekend, subbing on for Chelsea in their FA Cup match. It had been 469 days since Buchanan had last made an appearance. She suffered an ACL tear in November of 2024. She had returned to training about a month ago but hadn’t seen any game action before this weekend.
Goal of the Week
The Tampa Bay Sun had a wide range shot get blocked by a defender, but the rebound was kept in the box, and Sydny Nasello darted in to get it. Then she took a touch to get away from a defender and sent a rocket into the back of the net.
Signing of the Week
Carolina Ascent announced this week that they signed forward Tyler Lussi. Most recently, Lussi spent three seasons with the North Carolina Courage. Lussi played collegiately at Princeton and was then drafted in 2017 by the Portland Thorns. She spent four years with the Thorns before moving to Angel City in 2022 for one season. Then she joined the Courage in 2023. In total, she had 124 appearances throughout her time in the NWSL. She brings a lot of experience to the Ascent team, which is currently in fourth place in the standings.
What To Look Forward To
The USWNT is back in action this weekend with the SheBelieves Cup. The U.S. will take on Argentina in their first match on March 1 at 5 p.m. ET in Nashville, Tennessee. Canada will take on Colombia before that game. The USWNT has won the tournament seven times. It’s the first time that Argentina has played in the tournament since 2021.
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