Arsenal to face Barca and Lyon in Women's Champions League

Arsenal are set to meet holders Barcelona and eight‑time champions Lyon in the league phase of the Women’s Champions League, while Chelsea will face Lyon and Manchester City will encounter last season’s semi‑finalists Bayern Munich. Arsenal will host Lyon, Benfica and HB Koge, the Danish side they defeated both home and away during the 2021‑22 campaign. Renee Slegers’ squad will travel to Barcelona, Paris FC and Inter Milan as they aim to regain the European crown they captured in 2025. Chelsea, beaten finalists in 2020‑21, have been drawn against Paris St‑Germain, Roma and league‑stage newcomers Austria Wien, all matches to be played in London. Blues manager Sonia Bompastor will reunite with her former club Lyon when Chelsea take on the reigning French Champions League winners; the schedule is completed by visits to Swedish side Hacken and OH Leuven of Belgium. Having missed European competition last season, Women’s Super League champions Manchester City were placed in pot three but avoided the most difficult grouping. Andree Jeglertz’s team will meet Paris St‑Germain, Real Madrid and Austria Wien at home, and Bayern Munich, Hacken and Inter Milan on the road. Among the notable fixtures from Friday’s draw, Barcelona and Bayern Munich will replay their 2025‑26 semi‑final in Munich, with the German side also scheduled to travel to face Paris St‑Germain. The draw, conducted in Nyon, Switzerland, allocated the 18 participating clubs into six‑team pots, with each side receiving one home and one away opponent from each pot. Arsenal and Chelsea were positioned in pot one, while Manchester City was placed in pot three. UEFA will confirm each team’s full match schedule on Saturday, 5 September. The league phase opens on 22 and 23 September, with the sixth and final matchday set for 16 December. Knockout‑stage play‑offs are slated for February 2027, followed by quarter‑finals in March and semi‑finals in early May. The final will be held in Warsaw during the last week of May. League‑stage 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: Lyon, Benfica, HB Koge; Away: Barcelona, Paris FC, Inter Milan Chelsea – Home: Paris St‑Germain, Roma, Austria Wien; Away: Lyon, Hacken, OH Leuven Manchester City – Home: Paris St‑Germain, Real Madrid, Austria Wien; Away: Bayern Munich, Hacken, Inter Milan