QB weekly: 20. 4. - 26. 4. 2026

The international break is over and domestic football is back. Two leagues have already crowned their champions, with Bayern Munich among the sides celebrating after a particularly successful week. But what else happened across the women’s game?

A Successful Week for Bayern Munich

It has been a fairytale week for Bayern Munich’s players. On Wednesday, a win over Union Berlin secured their fourth consecutive league title with three games to spare. The decisive goal came from Giulia Gwinn, who had been a doubt after picking up an injury during the international break, raising concerns that the Germany captain could miss the UWCL semi-finals. Fortunately for Bayern, that was not the case, and it was Gwinn who ultimately fired them to the title.

But that was only the beginning.

On Saturday, Bayern hosted Barcelona at the Allianz Arena. Despite not being the favourites, they held their own, and thanks to a goal from Franziska Kett, the match ended in a 1:1 draw leaving everything to play for in the second leg at Camp Nou next week. On the top of that, 31 thousands spectators is the new UWCl record for Bayern Frauen.

Portsmouth relegated, Burnley and Watford promoted to WSL2

While Burnley’s men suffered relegation from the Premier League this week, the club’s women’s team had plenty to celebrate. A 3:0 win over Stoke City secured their promotion to WSL 2, the second tier of women’s football in England, where they will compete for a place among the elite next season.

Watford are also heading up, enjoying a similarly successful campaign. Heading in the opposite direction, however, are Portsmouth. After collecting just 14 points all season, their relegation was confirmed following a defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Stina stays, Manu leaves

It has been a busy week at Arsenal, too. The reigning Champions League holders took a significant step towards another final, winning the first leg of their semi-final 2:1 and heading into the return leg in Lyon with the advantage.

Off the pitch, there was more good news for the Gunners. Stina Blackstenius signed a new two-year contract, much to the delight of the Arsenal faithful. The Swedish striker has a habit of delivering on the biggest occasions — none more so than last year’s final, where her goal secured the Champions League title. A consistent presence in front of goal, her extension is a major boost for the club.

But it was not all positive news in north London.

Goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger is set to leave the club at the end of the season. The Austrian international, who joined Arsenal from Bayern Munich in 2019 and established herself as the team’s long-time number one, has endured a difficult campaign due to an ACL injury. In an emotional farewell video, she said goodbye to the fans through tears, thanking them for their unwavering support. Where the 30-year-old Austrian goalkeeper will play next season remains unclear.

Paula Tomás retired from professional football

And this is not a positive story either.

While 24 is far from the age at which most players consider retirement, Spanish defender Paula Tomás had little choice. The Aston Villa player has decided to step away from professional football due to an ongoing knee injury.

Tomás came through the academy at Levante, where she made her senior debut in Liga F in 2021. She joined Aston Villa in 2024 and went on to make 22 appearances for the club. Unfortunately, due to the persistent injury, that number will not increase.