The return of the UEFA Women's Champions League, plus the start of a new season in the NWSL, plus some intriguing games from other of the world's top women's leagues, including in England and in Germany.
Here's all you need to know ahead of another week in women's football.
What to watch in women's football: March 15 to March 17
NWSL Challenge Cup
The fifth edition of the NWSL Challenge Cup will get underway on Friday, March 15th. For the first time in this competition's history, this game will be played as a super cup similar to the FA Community Shield or the DFL-Supercup, and will serve as a curtain-raiser to the 2024 NWSL season.
NY/NJ Gotham, who won the 2023 NWSL after emerging victorious in the post-season play-offs, will take on San Diego Wave, who won the 2023 NWSL Shield after picking up the most points during the regular season. It will be the second appearance for Gotham, who finished as runners-up in 2021, and the first ever for the Wave.
WSL
Matchday 16 of the 2023/24 WSL season also starts on Friday, March 15th with Chelsea vs. Arsenal. It is surely set to be a great game, with the Blues, who are the reigning WSL champions facing an Arsenal side who are still keen on keeping their foot in the title race for as long as possible. Three points separate league leaders Chelsea from third-placed Arsenal, but the Blues will still remember how they were crushed 4-1 by the Gunners last December and as such will not be taking this game lightly.
Meanwhile, Manchester City, who sit in second place, will definitely be keeping an eye on this game as they are only behind Chelsea on goal difference. Depending on the outcome of the Chelsea-Arsenal tie, Manchester City could potentially move to top spot in the WSL if they can beat Brighton, who have won just two of their last five games but will be feeling a bit of confidence after defeating Everton 7-3 in a ten (yes ten) goal thriller last round.
NWSL
Following the conclusion of the NWSL Challenge Cup, the 2024 NWSL season kicks off on Saturday, March 16th with a quadruple-header. First up will see Kansas City vs. Portland Thorns, followed by a match featuring Racing Louisville and Orlando Pride. Then, there are two more games to keep fans engaged, starting with North Carolina Courage vs. Houston Dash and finishing with Utah Royals vs. Chicago Red Stars.
Sunday will also be another action-packed day, with two more games: Seattle Reign (which was known as OL Reign from 2020-2023) vs. Washington Spirit and Angel City vs. Bay FC.
This season will see a total of 14 teams taking part for the first time following the additions of Utah Royals, who will face Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, and Bay FC, who will face fellow California-based team Angel City on Sunday.
What to watch in women's football: March 18 to March 21
Frauen-Bundesliga
Matchday 16 of the 2023/24 Frauen-Bundesliga campaign will conclude on Monday, March 18th with two struggling teams - Bayer Leverkusen and Köln - aiming to put some much needed points on the board. Although neither side are in danger of relegation just yet, Köln in particular certainly will be keen on trying to put a bit more distance between themselves and the last placed teams in the table.
UEFA Women's Champions League
The UEFA Women's Champions League resumes on Tuesday, March 19th, as the quarter-finals get underway. Alongside defending champions Barcelona, seven other teams are still involved in this competition: Chelsea, Lyon, Benfica, PSG, Ajax, BK Häcken, and Brann. The first legs of the quarter-finals will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday, with each day featuring double headers.
On Tuesday, Chelsea, who are aiming to win silverware on multiple fronts this term, will travel to face Ajax, and later in the day, Benfica, who have had a very impressive run in this competition, will seek to keep their story going when they welcome French heavyweights Lyon.
Wednesday's games will start with Swedish outfit BK Hacken hosting PSG, followed by reigning champions Barcelona traveling to Brann, who are another surprise package in this competition.
Top news in women's football
Women's FA Cup set to feature two new semi-finalists
The quarter-finals of the Women's FA Cup ended with some surprise results - namely, two of the semi-finalists that will be taking part in the next stage in April.
Both Leicester City and Tottenham will be featuring in the final four for the first time in their respective club histories. Leicester City earned their spot in the semi-finals thanks to a 2-0 win over Liverpool, while Tottenham impressively held their nerve to knock out WSL title contenders Manchester City via penalties.
Interestingly, either Leicester City or Tottenham will have the chance to make further history, as they will lock horns in the second of the two Women's FA Cup semi-finals on April 14th. The winner of this match will then test their mettle against Chelsea or Manchester United in this season's Women's FA Cup final, which will be taking place at Wembley on May 12th.
Benfica continue to make huge steps
Benfica, who are one of eight quarter-finalists in this season's UEFA Women's Champions League have been making some major waves this season. The club's rise to prominence has been nothing short of impressive, especially considering that the club's women's team was only founded in 2017. The Eagles have quickly made the top flight in Portugal their domain, and now are seeking to translate their domestic success to continental exploits as well. Although they are still viewed as the underdogs in their two-legged tie against Lyon, Benfica, who are featuring in their first ever European knockout round tie, will certainly be keen on showing that they are truly an up-and-coming force to be reckoned with on the larger stage.
Didn't find your favorite women's league on this list? No worries, as this is just a highlight of some of the exciting games coming up this week. Make sure to check out our special Women's Football Page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for full broadcast info, match updates, news, and more.
