QB weekly: 16. - 22. 2. 2026

Champions League quarter-finals set up clash of historic rivals

Arsenal eased past OH Leuven, the youthful Belgian side who can be proud of their run in the competition. But the road to defending their title now leads to a familiar foe: Chelsea. The London rivals have made no secret of their ambition to match the Gunners’ European success. Arsenal remain the only English club to have lifted the trophy — doing so twice.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid knocked out Paris FC to set up a daunting tie against Barcelona. The quarter-finals will therefore deliver not only a London derby, but also El Clásico on the European stage.

Alessia Russo hits 50-goal milestone for Arsenal

The victory over Leuven and progression in front of the home crowd was not Arsenal’s only reason to celebrate — particularly for Alessia Russo. Freshly 27, the striker found the net twice on the night to reach a special milestone: 50 goals in an Arsenal shirt since joining the club ahead of the 2023/24 season.

To cap it off, she currently leads the scoring charts in the Women’s Champions League.

A new chapter for Jess Fishlock

The 39-year-old, who retired from international football in October, will serve as a technical assistant for Wales’ opening 2027 World Cup qualifier against Czechia on 3 March before returning to Seattle Reign for NWSL pre-season.

She will not be involved in the subsequent qualifier against Montenegro due to club commitments, with Seattle granting permission for her brief return. Former team-mate Kayleigh Barton will also assist the senior squad.

Four teams book their place in the Europa Cup semi-finals

Sparta Prague, Hammarby, Eintracht Frankfurt and BK Häcken — these are the semi-finalists of the inaugural Europa Cup. Each team took a different path to reach the last four, but all have earned their place in history.

For a spot in the final, Hammarby will face Sparta over two legs, while Häcken take on Frankfurt in the other semi-final.