Women's Champions League draw: Arsenal to face Barcelona & Lyon in league phase

2
Arsenal will face holders Barcelona and eight-time winners Lyon in the league phase of the Women's Champions League, while Chelsea will travel to Lyon and Manchester City will take on last season's semi-finalists Bayern Munich.

Arsenal will host Lyon, Benfica and Danish side HB Koge, who they beat home and away in 2021-22.

Renee Slegers' side will travel to face Barcelona, Paris FC and Inter Milan as they look to reclaim the European title they won in 2025.

Chelsea - beaten finalists in 2020-21 - will play Paris St-Germain, Roma and league phase debutants Austria Wien in London.

Blues manager Sonia Bompastor will be reunited with her former club Lyon when Chelsea face the record Champions League winners in France, with trips to Swedish side Hacken and OH Leuven in Belgium completing their schedule.

After missing out on European football last season, Women's Super League champions Manchester City were placed in pot three but have avoided the toughest draw.

Andree Jeglertz's side will play PSG, Real Madrid and Austria Wien at home, and Bayern Munich, Hacken and Inter Milan away.

Other stand-out matches from Friday's draw include Barcelona and Bayern replaying their 2025-26 semi-final in Munich, as well as the German side travelling to face PSG.

The draw in Nyon, Switzerland, had all 18 clubs placed into pots of six and drawn against two opponents - one home and one away - from each pot.

Arsenal and Chelsea were in pot one, with City in pot three.

Each team's match schedule will be confirmed by Uefa on Saturday, 5 September.

The first matchday of the league phase will be played on 22 and 23 September with the sixth and final games to take place on 16 December.

The knockout phase play-offs will be played in February 2027 followed by the quarter-finals in March and the semi-finals in early May.

The final in Warsaw is scheduled for the final week of May.

League phase dates:

Matchday 1: 22/23 September

Matchday 2: 30 September/1 October

Matchday 3: 28/29 October

Matchday 4: 10/11 November

Matchday 5: 18/19 November

Matchday 6: 16 December

Arsenal

Home opponents: Lyon, Benfica, HB Koge

Away opponents: Barcelona, Paris FC, Inter Milan

Chelsea

Home opponents: Paris St-Germain, Roma, Austria Wien

Away opponents: Lyon, Hacken, OH Leuven

Manchester City

Home opponents: Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid, Austria Wien

Away opponents: Bayern Munich, Hacken, Inter Milan

Click here to read article

Related Articles