Rise Higher

All but one UWCL quarter final spot is now decided, with the penultimate group stage match cementing spots for Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Roma, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. With Wolfsburg bagging their entry into the next round on match-day four, only one place remains – and next week’s decider will be a Canadian v Canadian clash between Vanessa Gilles’s Lyon and Julia Grosso’s Juventus.

Match-day five was, on the whole, a rousing success for Canadians. Lyon’s 1-0 win against Arsenal will be a relief for the reigning champions after a devastating loss against rivals PSG at the weekend. Vanessa Gilles started for the team and kept the clean sheet, whilst also forcing the own goal that got Lyon the win. PSG also came away with a victory, beating Real Madrid 2-1. Ashley Lawrence put on a sparkling performance, with an 84% pass accuracy, twelve ball recoveries, two tackles won and three successful long balls. Her 96 touches were bested only by her counterpart on the left, Sakina Karchaoui, illustrating just how influential PSG’s fullbacks were. To top it all off, Lawrence drew the foul for the winning penalty, leading the Parisians into the final eight.

Chelsea’s 4-0 victory against Vllaznia will have been expected considering the gap between the two sides, but the Blues will be pleased to have sealed their progress into the next round in such emphatic fashion. Jessie Fleming played the full ninety minutes, winning the most duels of anyone on the pitch (seven), boasting eight ball recoveries, two chances created and two tackles won. Kadeisha Buchanan also put in a solid shift not only defensively but going forward – with an admirable 19 passes into the final third in 64 minutes played. Julia Grosso, meanwhile, was given a well-deserved rest in Juventus’s 5-0 win against Zurich.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Canadians however, as Cloe Lacasse and Benfica faced up against the Spanish giants Barcelona. Their 6-2 loss belies the threat that Benfica actually posed – with two missed penalties, this could easily have been a far closer match. Lacasse put in a fantastic performance despite the magnitude of the occasion, winning a penalty (that was unfortunately not converted), as well as scoring a goal herself. The loss puts Benfica out of the competition, but as far as tournament send-offs go, giving a team with the stature of Barcelona real problems isn’t a terrible way to go out.

After midweek European action, domestic cup matches resumed at the weekend. The Continental Cup saw an opportunity for Manchester United to rotate their team, giving Adriana Leon a much-awaited start in a dead rubber match against Sheffield United. Leon quickly made the most of this opportunity, scoring a first-half brace and contributing heavily towards the Red Devils’ eventual 4-0 victory. Logic would dictate that this will lead to more minutes for the forward in league play come the New Year, after a disappointing lack of playtime thus far.

Elsewhere, further rotation allowed a rest for Shelina Zadorsky as Tottenham Hotspur secured the 1-0 win against Southampton that has guaranteed them top of the group and progression into the next round. This is a comforting result after a midweek WSL fixture saw the Spurs lose 3-0 to Everton, in a horrific defensive performance which Zadorsky and her teammates will surely wish to forget.

In Portugal, the Taça da Liga Feminina entered its fourth round this weekend, with Cloé Lacasse getting the start for Benfica in their 2-0 win against Vilaverdense. Marie-Yasmine Alidou D’Anjou also started in Famalicão’s 2-0 win over UR Cadima. Both Canadians now progress to the quarter finals, with Benfica looking to recapture the trophy they narrowly missed out on last season.

Player of the week: Ashley Lawrence