Miedema’s Magic: Can Barça Seal Their Semi-Final Fate?

Manchester City Triumphs Over Chelsea in Champions League Quarterfinal

The women’s football team of Manchester City achieved a significant victory against Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, securing a 2-0 win at home. Dutch international Vivianne Miedema played a pivotal role, scoring both goals in the match.

Upcoming Semifinal Showdown

The aggregate winner of this tie is set to face FC Barcelona in the semifinals, who demonstrated their dominance by defeating VfL Wolfsburg 4-1 in Germany.

Miedema’s Impact as a Substitue

Although Manchester City started the match with fellow Dutch internationals Kerstin Casparij and Jill Roord, Miedema began on the bench, a surprising decision given that the team was missing their injured top scorer, Khadija Shaw. The forward entered the pitch after halftime, alongside Wieke Kaptein from Chelsea.

Match Summary

The first half was tightly contested, with attempts from Roord, Lily Murphy of City, and Mayra Ramirez of Chelsea. It took over an hour for Miedema to break the deadlock, capitalizing on a rebound from a header by teammate Aleixandri.

Chelsea came close to equalizing, hitting the crossbar twice through Rytting Kaneryd, but City held firm. Miedema then sealed the victory with her second goal just before the match ended.

Notably, Chelsea entered the match as the leaders in the English league, having remained unbeaten in 31 matches (with 29 wins), with their last defeat occurring in April 2024. Coach Sonia Bompastor‘s team previously won all their group stage matches in the Champions League.

Barcelona Dominates Wolfsburg

In another quarterfinal match, Barcelona, the reigning Champions League winners for the past two seasons, overpowered Wolfsburg. Esmee Brugts represented Barcelona on left-back, while Wolfsburg featured Lynn Wilms, Lineth Beerennsteyn, and Caitlin Dijkstra. Ella Peddemors also made an appearance in the second half.

Match Highlights

Barcelona opened the scoring when Ewa Pajor netted the ball after a cross from Aitana Bonmatí, which was ultimately registered as an own goal by Dijkstra. Shortly after halftime, Barcelona swiftly sealed the match with two goals within three minutes—first by Irene Paredes and then Salma Paralluelo.

Wolfsburg managed to strike back through Janina Minge, but Swiss player Sydney Schertenleib restored the advantage for Barcelona with a stunning shot, making the scoreline 4-1 in favor of the Spanish side. This win marks Barcelona’s incredible record, as they have won 32 of the 34 matches they have played this season, with only Levante and Manchester City managing to defeat them.