What Do English Sides Need To Progress In Women's Champions League?

Four games down, 2 to go.

The Women's Champions League's inaugural convention shape is group for a thrilling finale arsenic teams conflict to suffice for nan knockout stage.

Last year's beaten finalists Barcelona are nan frontrunners, pinch grounds eight-time winners Lyon successful adjacent pursuit astatine nan top, while main tie debutants Manchester United lead nan measurement for nan trio of Women's Super League's teams.

Teams finishing first to 4th will automatically suffice for nan quarter-finals, pinch nan adjacent 8 teams - from 5th to 12th - facing disconnected successful two-legged play-offs to find who will subordinate them.

BBC Sport takes a look astatine really nan 3 English clubs person fared truthful acold connected nan continental shape - and what they request to progress.

Holders Arsenal person recovered it reliable going successful nan Champions League this season, pinch results and performances failing to lucifer nan accrued expectations group by that glorious triumph complete Barcelona successful nan last last May.

An opening nighttime conclusion by Lyon and a full illness against Bayern Munich bookended an unconvincing distant triumph complete Benfica, earlier Alessia Russo inspired a captious fightback to unafraid 3 points against Real Madrid.

Those results time off nan European champions eighth successful nan array pinch six points from 4 games played truthful far, and connected people to decorativeness successful 1 of nan play-off spots.

Yet pinch their last 2 games of nan convention shape against teams successful nan elimination area - Dutch broadside Twente and Belgian outfit Leuven - nan Gunners will beryllium assured of pushing for a top-four decorativeness and automatic qualification to nan knockouts.

Chelsea's latest quest to unafraid a maiden Champions League crown has been a mixed container of results truthful far.

They made a stuttering commencement pinch a drab tie against Dutch champions Twente, but followed up by swatting Paris FC speech and hitting St Polten for six, earlier claiming an awesome 1-1 tie against aged foes Barcelona.

So aft 4 games played Sonia Bompastor's broadside are successful sixth place, a constituent and 2 places extracurricular nan apical four, but pinch momentum and assurance very overmuch connected nan up.

They big Roma connected matchday 5 earlier travelling to look two-time winners Wolfsburg successful their last convention shape crippled successful what could good beryllium a caput to caput shootout for automatic qualification.

Manchester United enjoyed a flying commencement to their debut run successful Europe, winning their first 3 games against Valerenga, Atletico Madrid and Paris St-Germain while conceding conscionable 1 goal. But their advancement came to a shuddering halt connected matchday 4 pinch a 5-2 hammering by Wolfsburg.

That chastening conclusion successful Germany was United's 3rd nonaccomplishment successful 4 matches successful each competitions, pinch a deficiency of squad extent looking to beryllium taking its toll arsenic they statesman to struggle pinch nan demands of fighting connected aggregate fronts.

With 9 points from 4 games, they presently inhabit 4th spot successful nan standings, which would unafraid automatic qualification to nan quarter-finals. However sizeable improvements are required to stay there.

Up adjacent for Marc Skinner's broadside is nan sojourn of Lyon to Leigh Sports Village, followed by a travel to look Italian giants Juventus.

Each squad successful nan title has 2 games remaining successful nan convention shape - 1 astatine location and 1 distant - pinch their points tally aft matchday six determining their last spot successful nan convention phase.

The sides from 13th to 18th will beryllium eliminated from nan competition.

As it stands, Manchester United would suffice automatically for nan quarter-finals, while holders Arsenal and Chelsea would spell into nan play-offs.

Yet pinch conscionable 4 points separating United successful 4th spot and Paris FC successful 12th, things are acold from decided.

For an added spot of excitement, each 9 games connected matchday six (Wednesday 17 December) will beryllium played astatine precisely nan aforesaid clip (20:00 GMT) truthful nan standings could alteration correct up until nan very past whistle of nan convention phase.