Five months ago, Wolfsburg and Arsenal played out an enthralling conclusion to their Women’s Champions League semi-final at the Emirates Stadium. After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, the same scoreline took the second leg to extra time in London and it seemed destined for penalties – until Pauline Bremer’s 119th-minute winner sent the German side into the final.
It was an incredible tie, full of goals and drama of the highest quality. Yet, when the group stages of this season’s UWCL get under way next month, neither side will be involved. Both are former champions, both are among Europe’s elite in the women’s game but, like other big names such as Juventus and Manchester United, both have failed to get out of Champions League qualifying, with Paris FC performing some impressive giant-killing to deny them their places.
This isn’t the first time clubs of this size have fallen in the preliminary stages since a revamp of the competition two years ago. Indeed, Manchester City have twice been the big scalp, losing on both occasions to Real Madrid.
But that this season has produced a rather eye-catching list of eliminated teams has raised plenty of questions about the UWCL’s qualifying format. Is it already due a change?