Women’s Champions League draw: City, Arsenal faces tough task

The UEFA women’s Champions League draw has been revealed with Manchester City scheduled to face holders, Barcelona, in their first group stage campaign.

Friday’s draw also placed Arsenal in with Bayern Munich and Juventus, and put Chelsea and Celtic together in a group featuring Real Madrid.

City’s last outing in the Champions League proper came in 2020-21, when they suffered a 4-2 aggregate defeat by Barcelona in the quarter-finals. The group stage was introduced the following season and City have since twice been eliminated by Madrid in qualifying.

Two teams will progress from each of the four groups and City will be the favourites to go through with Barcelona after also being drawn with the Austrian club St Pölten and the Swedish side Hammarby.

City qualified with an 8-0 aggregate defeat of Paris FC, who knocked out Arsenal and Wolfsburg on their way to last season’s group stage.

Meanwhile, Chelsea received an automatic place in the group stage and could not face any of their fellow pot one sides (Barcelona, Bayern or Lyon) or another English team, meaning only Madrid and Wolfsburg could be drawn against them from pot two.

The London club have the kindest of the groups, facing Madrid, the Dutch champions Twente and Celtic. This is the first time a Scottish team have reached the group stage, although Glasgow City twice reached the quarter-finals before the introduction of the group stage.

Women’s Champions League draw

Group A Lyon, Wolfsburg, Roma, Galatasaray

Group B Chelsea, Real Madrid, Twente, Celtic

Group C Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Juventus, Vålerenga

Group D Barcelona, Manchester City, St. Pölten, Hammarby

The first group games will take place on 8-9 October and the last on 17-18 December. The dates for matches are expected to be released on Saturday.

The 2024/25 Women’s Champions League final will be held in Lisbon on 23-25 May, with the date to be confirmed.