The group stages are done, the playoff round is out of the way and we now have our eight quarterfinalists for this year’s Women’s Champions League.
The matchups are tantalising, with Women’s Super League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea set to meet for the first time in the competition. Barcelona and Real Madrid play each other in a Clásico quarterfinal, UWCL debutants Manchester United will face Bayern Munich while OL Lyonnes will meet Wolfsburg.
Given the quality of the teams and how high the stakes are, it’s likely a lot of these ties won’t be settled across the 180 minutes of the two legs.
So to answer the big question…
Is there extra-time in the UWCL?
Yes, there is. If aggregate scores are level at the end of normal time in the second leg, we’ll have an extra 30 minutes of action. If the game still hasn’t been decided, it goes into a penalty shootout.
Amazingly, all the knockout games from last season were decided without extra-time.
Is the away-goal rule there?
The away-goal rule states that if scores are level, the team with the greater number of away goals progresses into the next round.
However, as was the case in the men’s game, this rule was abolished from the 2021-22 season onwards.
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In the 2020-21 season, OL Lyonnes were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain on away goals. Their elimination brought an end to their run of five successive UWCL triumphs.
The last final to be decided on penalties was between these two sides, with PSG going on to win 7-6 in the shootout.
How does the seeding for the semifinals work?
For the semifinals, the teams that came first and second in the League Phase — Barça and OL Lyonnes — will play the second leg at home.
