Reigning champions Sant Andreu survived another major scare against CN Vouliagmeni, battling back once again before winning a dramatic shootout to keep their title defence alive.
The Spanish side will be joined in the 2025/26 Champions League Women Final Four by FTC-Telekom, Olympiacos Piraeus and Assolim CN Mataro, who all progressed with more comfortable aggregate victories.
Sant Andreu’s quarterfinal tie was the standout drama of the second legs. Vouliagmeni had led by five goals in the first match before Sant Andreu fought back to draw 11-11 in Barcelona. In Greece, the pattern repeated itself. Vouliagmeni again looked in control, moving four goals clear deep into the third period, but the holders refused to fold.
After another 11-11 draw in regular time, Sant Andreu won the shootout 4-3 to take the tie 25-24 on aggregate and book their place in Malta.
2025/26 Champions League Women
Quarterfinals, Leg 2
Saturday 16 May 2026
Aggregate scores shown
CN Vouliagmeni 11-11 Sant Andreu, Sant Andreu win 4-3 on penalties
Aggregate: 24-25
UVSE-Helia D 16-18 FTC-Telekom
Aggregate: 25-34
Olympiacos Piraeus 10-8 Astralpool CN Sabadell
Aggregate: 27-20
SIS Roma 10-12 Assolim CN Mataro
Aggregate: 19-25
Sant Andreu come back again to deny Vouliagmeni
CN Vouliagmeni 11-11 Sant Andreu — Sant Andreu win 4-3 on penalties
Quarters: 4-2, 3-3, 3-4, 1-2, penalties 3-4
Aggregate: 24-25
Sant Andreu have developed a habit of surviving the impossible.
Last season, they came from behind to win the Champions League title. This season, they have found another way to keep that defence alive.
Vouliagmeni had already seen a five-goal lead disappear in the first leg, when Sant Andreu recovered from 7-2 down to force an 11-11 draw. In the return leg, the Greek side again put themselves in a strong position, only for the champions to fight back and win the tie in a shootout.
The hosts made a fast start, converting four of their five extra-player chances in the opening period to lead 4-2 after eight minutes.
Lola Moolhuijzen converted a penalty early in the second quarter before Eleftheria Fountotou struck from the perimeter to make it 6-2. Sant Andreu were struggling in attack, but Maria Palacio ended a long scoring drought and Gisella Farre later struck from centre to bring the visitors closer.
Fountotou restored Vouliagmeni’s three-goal lead shortly before half-time, but Alice Williams responded with a brilliant one-timer 10 seconds before the break to make it 7-5.
Ariadna Ruiz scored early in the third to reduce the gap to one, but Vouliagmeni answered strongly. Moolhuijzen replied immediately, before Kyra Christmas scored back-to-back action goals as the hosts moved 10-6 ahead.
Against most opponents, that would have been enough. Against Sant Andreu, it was not.
Elena Ruiz scored from distance, Nona Perez finished a quick transition, and Paula Camus battled her way into position at centre to bring the visitors back to 10-9 before the final break.
Fountotou made it 11-9 early in the fourth, but Vouliagmeni failed to score again in the final six minutes. A crucial moment came with 3:35 remaining, when Moolhuijzen missed a penalty that would have given the Greeks a three-goal lead.
Sant Andreu punished the miss immediately. Elena Ruiz made it 11-10, before Ariadna Ruiz levelled from the right wing with 44 seconds remaining.
The tie went to penalties, where Fountotou hit the bar in the opening round and Ariadna Ruiz later struck the post for Sant Andreu. Moolhuijzen converted to keep Vouliagmeni alive, but Queralt Anton scored Sant Andreu’s fifth attempt before Martina Terre produced a superb two-handed save from Aspasia Fouraki to send the holders into the Final Four.
FTC win high-scoring Hungarian derby
UVSE-Helia D 16-18 FTC-Telekom
Quarters: 6-3, 3-6, 4-5, 3-4
Aggregate: 25-34
FTC-Telekom completed the job against domestic rivals UVSE, winning another high-scoring match to secure their place in Malta.
UVSE, facing a seven-goal deficit from the first leg, started brightly and raced into a 6-3 lead after the opening quarter, powered by five action goals.
Fradi responded in the second period. Greta Gurisatti and Bea Ortiz scored quick action goals, and Gurisatti struck twice late in the quarter to bring FTC level at 9-9 by half-time.
The momentum shifted further in the third quarter as FTC moved ahead for the first time and built a 13-10 advantage. UVSE continued to fight, scoring twice late in the period to reduce the deficit to 14-13 before the final break.
Kata Hajdu levelled from a penalty in the fourth, and UVSE equalised again at 16-16 with 3:50 remaining. But FTC’s experience told in the closing stages.
Gurisatti scored her ninth goal of the match from a six-on-five, UVSE missed at the other end, and Ortiz fired in from the perimeter to make it 18-16 with 1:52 remaining.
FTC held firm from there, completing a double victory and joining the club’s men’s team at the Final Four in Malta.
Olympiacos overcome Sabadell again
Olympiacos Piraeus 10-8 Astralpool CN Sabadell
Quarters: 4-1, 2-2, 2-4, 2-1
Aggregate: 27-20
Olympiacos booked their sixth Final Four appearance in the last seven editions with another win over Sabadell.
The Greek side had already built a five-goal advantage in Spain and quickly extended their control in Piraeus. Olympiacos raced into a 6-1 lead, seemingly removing any remaining doubt from the tie.
Sabadell, however, responded well after a timeout from David Palma. The visitors scored twice before half-time, then added two more after the break to reduce the deficit to 6-5.
Olympiacos had gone eight minutes without scoring, but the danger sparked a response. The hosts killed a key woman-down, before Eirini Ninou struck with a superb finish and Vasiliki Plevritou added another from a six-on-five to restore control at 8-5.
Sabadell kept pushing and moved back to 9-8 in the fourth quarter through Ona Jurado. The visitors had chances to equalise, including an extra-player opportunity, but Olympiacos held firm.
Dionysia Koureta settled the match with a centre finish 29 seconds from time, sealing another victory for the Greek champions.
Mataro maintain perfect record
SIS Roma 10-12 Assolim CN Mataro
Quarters: 1-2, 2-2, 3-7, 4-1
Aggregate: 19-25
Assolim CN Mataro produced another strong performance to defeat SIS Roma away from home and return to the Champions League Final Four.
The Spanish side arrived in Italy with a four-goal advantage and approached the second leg with control and maturity. Mataro led 2-1 after the first quarter and 4-3 at half-time, despite missing several extra-player opportunities.
The decisive spell came in the third quarter.
After Roma had drawn level at 5-5, Mataro scored twice in 35 seconds, then added two more goals to complete a damaging 4-0 run in just 1:41. The surge continued as the visitors scored again twice in quick succession, moving 11-6 ahead and effectively ending the contest.
Roma fought back in the final quarter, scoring four times and giving their supporters a strong finish to their Champions League campaign. Chiara Ranalli scored the final three goals for the hosts.
But Mataro had already done enough. The Spanish side closed out a 12-10 win on the night and a 25-19 aggregate victory.
Mataro will travel to Malta as the only team among the eight men’s and women’s Final Four participants still unbeaten in this season’s Champions League.
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