Manchester United Women are through to the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals after calmly steering past Atletico Madrid in front of a lively Leigh Sports Village crowd. For a team still carving out its European identity, it was the kind of composed, step-up performance that shows they are growing into contenders on the continental stage.
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United waste no time in finishing the job
Coming into the second leg with a 3-0 advantage already in the bank, Marc Skinner’s side refused to sit back. Instead, they pressed early, kept control in midfield and closed out the contest long before the final whistle.
Julia Zigiotti Olme opened the scoring inside 30 minutes, guiding United into an even stronger position on aggregate. Her goal settled the atmosphere and gave the hosts the freedom to play with confidence.
Jess Park, one of England’s brightest attacking prospects, added a second just before halftime after a neatly worked short-corner move. It was a reminder of how United’s set-piece sharpness has grown this season, and it sent the crowd into the break certain their team was heading to the last eight.
Atletico’s frustrating evening was sealed when Xenia Perez was sent off in the closing stages, leaving the Spanish side unable to mount any meaningful response.
Read more: Sundowns rise above drama to book Champions League knockout spot
Wolfsburg join United in the last eight
Earlier in the evening, Wolfsburg punched their ticket to the quarterfinals with a composed 2-0 win away at Juventus. Vivien Endemann put the Germans ahead on aggregate with an early strike, before Cora Zicai sealed it in second-half stoppage time with a curled effort that clipped the underside of the crossbar.
Goalkeeper Stina Johannes, named player of the match, admitted that the final stretch required nerves of steel as Juventus pushed for an equaliser.
“We are very happy to have reached the quarter-finals. That was our goal,” Johannes said after the match. “The last 20 minutes were stressful because Juve put us under pressure, but we stayed disciplined.”
Their reward is a rematch with Lyon, the eight-time European champions, in a fixture rich with history. Lyon famously beat Wolfsburg in the 2013 final, a result that still lingers whenever the two sides meet.
What comes next for United
Manchester United will now meet Bayern Munich in the next round, a clash that promises to test their progress against one of Europe’s most technically polished sides. For Skinner’s squad, reaching back-to-back stages of this competition is more than a milestone. It is a sign that English clubs are continuing to push deeper into Europe’s elite spaces as the women’s game grows.
With confidence high and momentum behind them, United will feel ready for whatever the next challenge brings.
Source: SuperSport
Featured Image Source: Man United Women on X
Jess Park doing Jess Park things 🪄
Watch the #UWCL on Disney+ 📲 pic.twitter.com/9cqqBA0ou0
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) February 19, 2026
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