Gaupset To Zigiotti: Stars To Watch In Women’s Champions League This Week | Moving The Goalposts

The 2nd information of Women’s Champions League qualifying gets nether measurement connected Wednesday pinch respective notable teams entering, among them Manchester United, Brann, Glasgow City and Roma. The winners of Wednesday’s semi-finals will advancement to Saturday’s finals and play for a spot successful mid-September’s last information of qualifying. Here are 8 players to support an oculus connected this week.

Julia Zigiotti (Manchester United): With Fridolina Rolfö continuing to retrieve from nan wounded that hampered her astatine Euro 2025, plentifulness of eyes will beryllium connected her compatriot and now club-mate Zigiotti. The Swede was United’s different marquee signing this summertime and brings a wealthiness of experience. The tenacious protect midfielder arrived aft a double-winning play pinch Bayern Munich and was astatine nan bosom of her country’s tally to nan quarter-finals successful Switzerland. Zigiotti will beryllium acquainted to Women’s Super League fans from her two-year spell astatine Brighton. Her cardinal qualities dishonesty successful her expertise to nexus nan modulation from defence to onslaught arsenic good arsenic her value successful nan property and activity ethic. Her preamble will possibly let Dominique Janssen to return to her much earthy protect position.

Riola Xhemaili (PSV): The midfielder wrote her sanction into nan Swiss shot history books this summertime pinch a 92nd-minute equaliser against Finland that sent nan hosts to their first European Championship quarter-final. Xhemaili made a imperishable move to PSV aft a successful indebtedness from Wolfsburg past play and will beryllium looking to return different large scalp pinch nan Eredivisie broadside erstwhile they look United connected Wednesday. She scored 10 goals and provided six assists successful nan past run and has go an integral portion of Roeland 10 Berge’s side.

Oona Sevenius (Rosengård): Euro 2025 spectators will retrieve Sevenius’s effect successful an breathtaking Finland team. Her beautiful decorativeness against Norway connected her first commencement astatine a awesome tourney and nan ceremony that followed marked nan 21-year-old arsenic 1 to watch connected nan European stage. After immoderate clip successful Italy and a indebtedness astatine FC Como, nan guardant signed for Rosengård successful January and has made 13 appearances this season. The Swedish squad will beryllium favourites to travel done an opening necktie pinch North Macedonia’s Ljuboten.

Signe Gaupset (Brann): The midfielder’s profession has been connected a steep upward trajectory since she collapsed into Brann’s broadside successful 2021 and shows nary motion of slowing. One of nan champion youngsters successful Switzerland this summer, nan 20-year-old Norwegian produced a memorable display against Iceland, scoring doubly and providing 2 assists. Gaupset is nan jewel successful Brann’s crown pinch 11 goals and 8 assists registered successful this season’s Toppserien and she will beryllium looking guardant to nan situation of breaking down Inter’s defence. Some of nan apical clubs successful Europe will beryllium trying to prise her distant from nan Bergen-based team, pinch whom successful March she signed a caller statement until 2027.

Signe Gaupset (left) celebrates aft scoring for Norway against Iceland astatine nan Euros. She ended pinch 2 goals and 2 assists. Photograph: Peter Klaunzer/EPA

Alayah Pilgrim (Roma): After important battles pinch wounded past season, nan Switzerland world recovered to decorativeness nan run pinch Roma and gain her action for Pia Sundhage’s Euro 2025 squad. The 22-year-old had to settee for being an effect subordinate from nan chair but made her people connected her awesome tourney front pinch a extremity successful nan 2-0 triumph complete Iceland. A guardant pinch gait to burn, she is simply a problem for immoderate defence and will beryllium relishing nan opportunity to tally astatine nan backline of Aktobe, a nine from Kazakhstan.

Smilla Holmberg (Hammarby): The right-back had a summertime of contrasting fortunes. The joyousness of her standout capacity and extremity successful Sweden’s 4-1 demolition of Germany was followed by nan agony of missing nan penalty that sent England to nan semi-finals. The move 18-year-old is simply a prima successful nan making pinch nan imaginable to go nan complete modern full-back. Her emergence astatine Hammarby has been sensational and she is 1 of nan side’s astir productive players successful nan Damallsvenskan this season.

Roisin Molloy (Athlone Town): The Irish club’s inaugural quality successful Champions League qualifying brought a 4-0 triumph complete Cardiff City past period and nan 23-year-old Molloy was a standout performer pinch 2 goals and an assist. The right-winger has been catching nan oculus domestically since signing for Athlone successful 2021. She made 18 starts past play and scored 5 goals arsenic Colin Fortune’s broadside won their first convention title and is continuing successful a rich | vein of form. The value of nan seasoned Icelandic champions Breiðablik will beryllium nan adjacent situation for nan breathtaking midfielder.

Erín McLaughlin (Glasgow City): The Republic of Ireland world moved to Glasgow connected a three-year woody this summertime aft a play pinch Portsmouth. The 22-year-old midfielder has shown beardown potential, her vision, method expertise and power sparkling done successful her performances astatine Peamount United and, past season, successful nan Championship. She has caught nan oculus of Carla Ward, who called her up for Ireland’s summertime friendlies against nan USA.

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