Arsenal stroll in Women's Champions League play-offs

Defending Women's Champions League champions Arsenal secured a comfortable 4-0 victory on the road against Belgian outfit OH Leuven during the opening match of their knockout play-off encounter on Wednesday.

Frida Maanum netted a brace, while Olivia Smith and Alessia Russo also found the net, allowing Arsenal to establish dominance ahead of the return fixture at home next week.

Arsenal previously defeated Leuven 3-0 in their last league phase game in December, yet they entered the play-offs after narrowly failing to secure direct entry to the quarter-finals.

The Gunners appear poised to meet English title holders Chelsea in the quarter-finals, though they will miss Smith in the second leg versus Leuven following her booking for time-wasting.

Smith was substituted by Kim Little towards the end, marking the Scottish midfielder's 400th outing for Arsenal, a team that seems to be regaining peak performance following a patchy season.

"At times, you do not manage to get everything perfect over an entire season, but we have taken lessons from those instances," Little shared with Disney+.

"We have developed both on and off the field to push for improvements, and in the end, our everyday efforts, combined with the mindset and dedication of all team members, are paying off; it feels rewarding."

Real Madrid overturned a deficit to triumph 3-2 over Paris FC, maintaining their path back to the quarter-finals.

Kaja Korosec struck a volley from a corner to give the hosts the lead, but strikes by Caroline Weir and Athenea del Castillo turned the momentum towards Madrid prior to the interval.

Linda Caicedo chased down a lengthy clearance from Madrid's custodian Misa Rodriguez to score a third for the away team, although Paris FC responded with Maeline Mendy's effort that took a deflection, keeping the contest alive.