UWCL Qualifiers: SKN aims to exploit home advantage

Like champions Austria Wien, vice-champions SKN St. Pölten also enter the UEFA Women's Champions League on Wednesday in the second of three qualifying rounds.

Champions League Dream: Austria wants to write history again >>>

The St. Pölten women will first face YB Bern in their home mini-tournament. However, hopes of reaching the league phase are tempered.

The dethroned serial champions were most recently represented four times in a row in the Champions League group or league phase, but suffered numerous heavy defeats in 2025/26.

Home Advantage at the Mini-Tournament

In this renewed attempt, they can rely on home advantage, among other things. Contrary to initial fears, the newly laid pitch in the NV Arena ultimately received the green light; it is expected to be the final stop for the Bern women.

The recent success against Austria provides the necessary "tailwind", as coach Laurent Fassotte emphasized. If successful, Sporting Lisbon will likely await them on Saturday (6:00 PM), having Seasters Odessa in the semi-final.

SKN St. Pölten ends Austria's 29-game streak >>>

Only Tournament Winners Advance

"Realistically, this year it will likely be the path via the Europa Cup," SKN captain Jennifer Klein stated cautiously, in light of potential third-round opponents such as PSG, Real Madrid or VfL Wolfsburg.

For the SKN women, as for Vienna's Austria, the path to the Champions League is still a long one; only the respective tournament winners remain in contention.

For this, at least the third-place play-off, which would also take place on Saturday, must be won. The second-placed teams in the mini-tournaments move to the second qualifying round of the Europa Cup, while the third-placed teams start in the first round, where Sturm Graz is also represented.