UEFA Women's Coefficient Review: Matchday 1

The league phase began last week in the UEFA Women's Champions League while the UEFA Women's Europa Cup continued with second qualifying round first legs. A total of 25 matches occurred, with many of them playing a key role in the UEFA women's coefficient ranking. While some battles are nearing their conclusion, others are still looking quite interesting.

Here is the latest look at where things stand in the five-year rankings. A quick note before getting started: since the UWEC is still in the qualifying phase for the next two weeks, match points won are half of the points in the UWCL league phase.

Battle for Second: Spain Go Unbeaten

We start at the top of the rankings where Spain slightly increased their lead over France for second place. Their trio of teams went unbeaten, though Real Sociedad's draw in the UWEC will feel a tad disappointing. They have the chance to make amends next week, though failure could very well result in disaster.

The lead is exactly 5.000 points for Spain, which is a lot at this stage. However, things could take a turn if La Real falter in next week's decider. France, already guaranteed another 15 matches, will need to make the most of this chance. Last term the French had two sides in the UWCL knockout stage as PSG did not survive the league phase. If all three can do so this time around, that provides the opportunity to really make up the ground.

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There were also two direct clashes on matchday 1 as well, with Spain going 1-1-0. We are already assured one more before the end of the league phase, and that could add some extra weight to this battle. On the season, France have earned 2.000 points more, thanks in large part to the bonus points. Whether they can add another 5.000 points over their rivals is another matter.

Battle for Sixth/Seventh: Netherlands Near Huge Bonus

Next is the race for sixth and seventh places, and while all three countries had good weeks, it was the Netherlands who did the best job. A full complement of points has them in a position to strike in next week's UWEC deciders.

PSV, Ajax, and Feyenoord were all winners in UEFA's second tier club competition, allowing for the Dutch to close the gap just a bit on Sweden for seventh. Both of the latter's teams in the UWEC also prevailed, while Portugal went 1-0-1, putting them under pressure. Benfica won points in the UWCL, which also benefited the Iberian nation.

The next week will play a very important role in this race. Teams that make the last 16 of the UWEC earn 2.500 points, which are also reflected in the country ranking. As such, the maximum points available for both Portugal and Sweden is 3.000 points each, while for the Dutch, it is 3.500. That is assuming all teams win their respective matches outright.

We are in for what will surely be the most pivotal week of the season in this race. Among the three nations, seven teams are in the UWEC, and none of them are facing each other yet. It will either be a very successful week, or a nightmarish one - there is little middle ground here.

Battle for 13th/17th: Poland Poised for More

If there is one area of the UEFA women's coefficient ranking where we are truly seeing some movements, it is in the race for top 13/top 17. Two countries moved up (and two moved down) after the last round of play, and we are certain this will not be the end of the changes either.

Türkiye and Poland were the ones to go up one spot each after Fenerbahçe and Czarni Sosnowiec were both victorious. Given the fact the duo came out on top by multiple goals on the road, there is a very strong chance they will advance to the round of 16. That would provide a 2.500-point bonus for the two nations. The Turks would really be in the running for 13th, while Poland would almost surely win a place in the top 17.

Switzerland, Iceland, and Greece all ended up earning no points after last week. That left the latter two in serious trouble of being eliminated. It has already been a solid season for the Greeks thanks to PAOK's UWCL exploits, but given they are within touching distance of 17th, it would be a disappointment to get so close yet still miss out. As for Iceland, their decline continues as Breiðablik and FH were beaten. The potential of having no sides in the round of 16 is very real now, and could see them fall out of the top 17 as a result.

Czechia were the only nation of the lot to claim multiple wins thanks to Sparta Praha and Slovan Liberec. Should they both advance, that would result in 1.666 bonus points (plus potential match points), and would reignite their hopes of passing Switzerland and/or Denmark. Speaking of the Danes, Brøndby earned an important win as well. It feels the pressure is on the Swiss, given the fact Servette are the only side left. They still have five more chances to grab meaningful points, but time is running out.

Scotland will be pleased with Hearts' draw, though the realistic possibility of losing their two teams looms. Rangers fell in their match, but fortunately, they are not out of the tie quite yet. They currently hold 17th, but will have to watch out for Poland and Greece. Even if one of the two advance, that could be enough for the Scots to hold on and end the season 17th or better.

All eyes will be on the eight countries next week as we enter a decisive week for this battle. Some significant bonus points are on the line, and could make the difference in where they end up. A third European place (top 13) and multiple UWCL spots (top 17) are on the line, so there is no room for error here.

Battle for 24th/28th: Late Slovak Surprise?

To the last battle of the five-year ranking, the race for top 24/top 28. Expect this one to wrap up by the end of UWEC Q2, seeing there are only six nations left to discuss. There is a very good chance that, at most, two of them will remain in play.

Slovakia were the only one of the six to pick up a win thanks to Spartak Myjava. Should they advance next week, not only would they secure 24th, but suddenly 17th would become realistic for them. What a jump that wold be, especially this late on. Ukraine's FC Kharkiv did lose, but they are far from out of it. Up to 2.000 points are up for grabs for them in the decider, which would also see them confirm 24th while also chase for 17th.

Romania, Belarus, and Kazakhstan all suffered heavy defeats, and will almost surely exit the European scene after next week's results. It will definitely go down as a poor campaign for the first two mentioned, seeing they had multiple sides in Europe. For Kazakhstan, it will really emphasize the steep decline they have endured for quite a while now. From being in 10th spot in 2019/20 to now finishing as high as 37th, it is a remarkable fall.

It looks like Cyprus will claim the final place in the top 28 for now, unless HJK can pull off a comeback in their tie. While it is certainly a tough ask, they only lost 2-0 in the first leg, so not impossible. If they do turn it around, that will put Finland in the top 24. Even a win would see them climb into 28th at the last. So, a lot is riding on that clash.

The attention will undoubtedly be on Ukraine, Slovakia, and Finland to keep their European seasons going. For everyone else, the goal is to end the year on a high.

A Look at Everyone Else

Finally, a look at the other countries in the UEFA women's coefficient ranking that are not involved in a battle. Most of the nations had a decent week, though Norway and Austria may not agree as much.

Two of the three Norwegian sides were beaten in the UWEC, with the danger of losing all three clubs a more than realistic possibility. It would be a huge failure on their end to not produce at least one team in the last 16. For Austria, they went 0-0-3, and be down to only one side at the end of next week. Fortunately for them, they already did the necessary work to finish in the top 13, but losing multiple sides here would be a disappointment.

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England and Germany both went 2-1-0, though the latter saw their only UWCL team draw their match - ironically against an English outfit. Italy had a 1-1-1 record, and is still a decent start. They will want to build on this throughout the league phase, as a strong showing from them could result in them making some headway on Germany for future seasons.

Belgium's sole surviving team, OH Leuven, drew against Roma in the Women's Champions League, which is a good start for them. They did some solid work for their nation last term, and will want to add further contributions - they are the only team left after all.