Our UEFA Women’s Champions League group phase came to an end with a 3-0 win away to OH Leuven on Wednesday night.
Goals from Olivia Smith and Beth Mead had us leading confidently with less than half an hour played, and a Caitlin Foord cross in the second half was turned into the Leuven net by Saar Janssen.
We just missed out on the league’s top four, meaning we will now be drawn into the play-offs for the quarter-finals, with the draw taking place at 12pm on Thursday.
It was a record attendance for women's football in Belgium, with 9,285 supporters watching the match, including our second-largest UWCL away following after last season's Champions League final.
### FIRST HALF
Our first chance of the game fell to Alessia Russo from Smith’s cross after she cut back inside on the left wing. Russo’s header was easy for Lowiese Seynhaeve to catch though.
Russo came closer to finding the breakthrough in the 16th minute, heading towards the bottom left corner from a Katie McCabe delivery, but the goalkeeper got across to her right well to make the save.
There was nothing she could do to deny Smith moments later though. After playing a smart one-two with Mariona Caldentey, Smith charged into the 18-yard box and, after seeing her first effort saved, followed up on the rebound to smash the ball into the back of the net.
It didn’t take long for us to double our lead, Mead cutting in from the right and curling the ball sweetly into the far corner on her left foot for 2-0.
At the other end, Zenia Mertens tried her luck from distance, firing over the bar with Leuven’s first shot of the game.
Mariona had a free-kick tipped over bar with half-time approaching, and Lotte Wubben-Moy was unlucky not to score our third when she directed a ball into the box towards the bottom right with her head, but once again Seynhaeve reacted well.
There was one chance left for us before the break as Russo played the ball inside to Mead, who hit it first time with power only to see the shot saved.
### SECOND HALF
We came out looking equally lively at the start of the second half, Smith playing a one-two with Russo and shooting straight at the goalkeeper from the edge of the area.
Leuven had another effort when a cross into the box came out to Aurelie Reynders who dragged her shot wide.
Russo produced a lovely bit of skill to beat her defender moments later and then pull it back for Smith, whose poked effort was stopped.
We made a triple change in the 64th minute with Kim Little, Smith and Steph Catley making way for Foord, Stina Blackstenius and Leah Williamson.
Foord thought she’d made it three when her cross from the left was turned in by Janssen, but the flag was raised for offside. But, after a VAR check, it turned out that Foord was onside so the 3-0 lead was confirmed!
Mariona made way for Emily Fox with just under 15 minutes left on the clock, and in the 83rd minute it was Frida Maanum who came on for Russo.
Blackstenius curled an effort wide of the far post in the game's dying embers as we cruised to a confident victory.
### WHAT'S NEXT
We head to Gander Green Lane in Sutton to take on Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals of the Subway Women's League Cup for our final game of 2025 at 1pm on Sunday.
Then, we begin 2026 back at Emirates Stadium against Manchester United for a 12.30pm kick-off in the Barclays Women's Super League on Saturday, January 10.
In the Champions League, the knockout stage draw will be on Thursday, December 18 from 12pm. Due to our seeding, we are expecting to come up against either the team that finishes 11th or the team that finishes 12th, so Atletico Madrid or OH Leuven.
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