In 2015, this fixture brought the European season to a close. In 2026, it comes before the main competition has even begun.
Célia Šašić put Frankfurt ahead in the 32nd minute of that final and Marie-Laure Delie equalised eight minutes later. With extra time looming, substitute Mandy Islacker scored in the 92nd minute to make 1. FFC Frankfurt European champions for the fourth time.
It was PSG’s first of two unsuccessful finals. They returned in 2017 but lost to Lyon on penalties and are still chasing the only major trophy missing from their collection.
Frankfurt have not reached another final.
Four European titles behind the Eintracht badge
The club that lifted the trophy in 2015 was 1. FFC Frankfurt, not Eintracht Frankfurt.
That changed on 1 July 2020, when 1. FFC’s teams became part of Eintracht. The merger brought together seven German league titles, nine domestic cups and four European trophies under the current badge.
Last season, Frankfurt fell one round short of the Champions League league phase. They lost 2-1 to Real Madrid at the Stadion am Brentanobad and were beaten 3-0 in the return leg. Their campaign continued in the inaugural Women’s Europa Cup, where they reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual champions Häcken.
PSG did make it into the Champions League but finished seventeenth out of eighteen teams.
Only one of them can return to the league phase this season. The losers will enter the second qualifying round of the Women’s Europa Cup.
Frankfurt’s 12-0 start
Frankfurt have played three competitive matches this season, all at home. They have won all three, scored twelve goals and conceded none.
Their campaign began with an 8-0 victory over Omonia Nicosia in the second qualifying round. Four days later, they defeated Malmö 2-0 to reach this tie. On Saturday, they opened their Bundesliga season with another 2-0 win, this time against Köln.
Laura Freigang has scored five of those twelve goals. She found the net once against Omonia, scored both goals against Malmö and followed that with another brace in the league opener.
Erëleta Memeti provided both assists against Köln after scoring twice herself in the 8-0 European win.
Niko Arnautis’s side also ended pre-season by beating OL Lyonnes 2-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly. Their summer record stands at four wins and a draw in friendlies, followed by three competitive victories.
Ainhoa Alguacil and goalkeeper Sophia Winkler remain unavailable. Otherwise, Frankfurt enter the tie with three competitive matches behind them and a captain who has scored consecutive braces.
Two points in Europe, nine lost in France
PSG’s route into qualifying began with two very different failures last season.
Their Champions League campaign opened with four consecutive defeats:
- 0-4 at Wolfsburg
- 1-2 at home to Real Madrid
- 1-2 at Manchester United
- 1-3 at home to Bayern Munich
A goalless draw with OH Leuven confirmed their elimination before the final matchday. PSG then drew 1-1 away to Benfica, ending the league phase with two points, four goals and no victories from six matches.
Their third-place domestic finish needs further context.
The French Football Federation overturned three PSG victories because of an administrative issue involving Florianne Jourde’s international transfer certificate. Jourde had played in the wins against Strasbourg, Le Havre and Fleury. The decision was upheld on appeal and effectively cost PSG nine points.
They finished the regular season on 47, one behind Paris FC, before losing 1-0 to their city rivals in the title play-off semi-final.
PSG are therefore back in qualifying for the second time in three seasons. Juventus eliminated them in 2024, when defeat meant the end of their European campaign. This time, the losers will continue in the Women’s Europa Cup, but PSG would again be absent from the competition they have spent a decade trying to win.
PSG’s season starts in Frankfurt
Frankfurt have already played three competitive matches. Wednesday’s first leg will be PSG’s first.
Paulo César’s side began pre-season with two 1-1 draws, against Saint-Malo and Brighton. They then lost 3-1 to Union Berlin before finishing with a 4-0 victory over Valencia.
Romée Leuchter scored directly from a corner and set up Isabela in that final friendly. The Dutch striker was the leading scorer in France last season with eighteen league goals.
PSG have also signed Naomie Feller from Real Madrid. She already knows how to score against Frankfurt at this stage of the competition: a year ago, Feller opened the scoring in Madrid’s 3-0 second-leg victory.
There are two further links between the teams. Amanda Ilestedt played for PSG from 2021 to 2023 and is now part of the Frankfurt defence. Jackie Groenen spent four seasons with 1. FFC Frankfurt before eventually moving to Paris.
Why the first leg matters
Frankfurt’s early-season advantage is temporary.
They have had three competitive matches to settle into their shape and build the connection between Freigang and Memeti. PSG have had only friendlies. By the return leg in Paris, that gap in match sharpness will have narrowed.
Frankfurt must make it count while they are at home. A draw would leave PSG with another week of preparation and the opportunity to decide the tie at their own training ground.
For PSG, the first task is to avoid another damaging start in Europe. Last season’s four opening defeats left them with too much ground to recover. Their squad contains enough experience and attacking quality to change the course of a tie, but Frankfurt have already shown that they can punish teams before they settle.
Eleven years ago, one late goal separated them in a single match. This time, they have two legs.
Then, the Champions League trophy was at stake. Now, one former finalist will not even reach the league phase.
Match details
The first leg will be played on Wednesday 26 August at 19:00 CEST at the Stadion am Brentanobad in Frankfurt. The return match is scheduled for Wednesday 2 September at 18:30 CEST at the PSG Campus.
Spanish referee Marta Huerta de Aza will take charge of the match. Iragartze Fernández Esesúmaga and Portugal’s Andreia Sousa will be the assistant referees, with Paola Cebollada López as the fourth official.
EintrachtTV+ will show the match live. PSG TV Premium will provide coverage in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Andorra and Monaco.
