Have Arsenal got the easiest draw in OH Leuven?published at 12:58 GMT
12:58 GMT
Image source, Getty Images
Arsenal have drawn competition debutants OH Leuven in the knock-out play offs.
For Leuven, this is the culmination of a rise that began in 2021, when Leuven were runners up in the Belgian Women’s Super League for the very first time.
They were beaten to the punch twice more by Belgian giants Anderlecht in 2022 and 2023, before finishing third in 2024.
In their first season under head coach Arno van den Abbeel, Leuven lifted their first Belgian title in 2025, putting them into the second round of qualifying for the women’s Champions League.
This, at a club where the men’s side have never qualified for the Champions League or the Europa League – it was a big moment for Leuven, who weren’t tipped to progress from the qualifiers.
Leuven trumped Rosengard and Sarajevo at mini-tournament at home, before beating Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava 2-0 on aggregate to seal their place in the League Phase.
The Belgian side have held their own in the league phase, holding the likes of Paris St Germain, Roma and Paris FC to draws – but they couldn’t resist the dominance of last year’s finalists, losing 3-0 to both Arsenal and Barcelona.
But on the back of a fairy tale run, could Leuven’s momentum give them the upper hand when they play Arsenal in the play-offs?