Yash Thakur. Aug 25, 2026, 03:15 AM ET. Chelsea, Wolfsburg, and Paris Saint-Germain face elimination risk in the UEFA Women's Champions League third qualifying round.

Chelsea, finishing third in the WSL last season, must navigate a tie against Real Sociedad. Wolfsburg meets Inter Milan, while PSG faces Eintracht Frankfurt. Lose those ties, and the teams will be dumped out before the Champions League really begins.

Real Sociedad vs. Chelsea Under manager Arturo Ruiz, Real Sociedad played some dazzling football last season. They comfortably finished third in Liga F behind champions Barcelona and runners-up Real Madrid, but 12 points clear of fourth-place CD Tenerife. Ruiz likes his teams to dictate games, with the midfielders dominating possession, while pressing high when out of possession.

Last season, that meant Paula Fernández and Andreia Jacinto were crucial at the base of Real Sociedad's midfield, although the latter joined Real Madrid this summer. Jacinto's departure will come as a huge loss for Real Sociedad, but it is the lack of goal-scoring options that limits their chances of an upset against Chelsea the most. Bayern Munich loanee Edna Imade ended as the club's top scorer last season (11 goals), despite only playing for the first half of the campaign and returning to her parent club in January.

Real Sociedad also look thin in defense. The emergence of 17-year-old left back Aiara Agirrezabala, who notched six goals and four assists last season, was a positive step for Ruiz, but the team still lack quality and depth. In short, getting two results against Chelsea over the two legs looks to be a tall order for the Spanish side.

Though perhaps what matters most is what kind of Chelsea side shows up. They looked bereft of attacking ideas at times last season, meaning teams were able to keep them at bay. This summer's new arrivals have been geared towards adding more dynamism to their attack, such as Giulia Dragoni and Melvine Malard, after the departure of legendary striker Sam Kerr.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Paris Saint-Germain Over a decade ago, Eintracht Frankfurt beat Paris Saint-Germain in the 2015 UWCL final. Now, the two sides meet under entirely different circumstances. The UEFA Europa Cup -- a second-tier women's competition in Europe -- was played for the first time last season, with Frankfurt making the semifinals.

However, with 11 players departing this summer, this is a new-look Frankfurt side that will be hoping to make it past the qualifying rounds for just the second time in 10 years -- they fell at this same hurdle last season to Real Madrid. Those summer departures could hurt them. Three of Frankfurt's top six goal contributors have left -- including top scorer Nicole Anyomi -- although Laura Freigang remains to lead the line.

Midfield arrivals Larissa Mühlhaus and Hanna Bennison could help, but the huge turnover makes Frankfurt something of an unknown entity. For their part, PSG are no strangers to early European exits, having been knocked out by Juventus in the third qualifying round two years ago. Then again, last season's performance in the league phase offered no greater confidence: PSG were one of four sides who failed to win a single game as they struggled to beat Benfica or minnows OH Leuven, and they scored the joint-fewest number of goals (4).

Not long ago, PSG used to be an easy bet to make the semifinals -- they reached four in five years between 2019 and 2024 -- but they are not the team they once were. Last season they finished third in France's Première Ligue for the first time since 2017. And, unable to attract or retain top talents, PSG are no longer the dominant force in European women's club football.