Champions League Showdown: Manchester United Women Face Lyon, Wolfsburg, and More
The Women's Champions League draw. Check out Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United's opponents and fixtures for the league phase.
Chelsea is set to face tough opponents in the Women's Champions League, starting with a highly anticipated...
The new-look Women's Champions League has brought exciting matchups, with holders Arsenal facing tough opponents in the league phase. They'll take on eight-time winners Lyon, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, among others.
Here's a breakdown of Arsenal's fixtures:
Home Matches:
Lyon: A rematch of last season's semifinal, where Arsenal emerged victorious with a 5-3 aggregate score
Real Madrid: A potential thrilling encounter, given their strong performance in recent seasons
FC Twente: A chance for Arsenal to secure points against a potentially less challenging opponent
Away Matches:
Bayern Munich: A tough test against one of the top teams in Europe
Benfica: A competitive match that could go either way
OH Leuven: Another away fixture that Arsenal will aim to capitalize on
The Gunners, who beat Barcelona 1-0 in last season's final, will also play Benfica, Twente of the Netherlands and Belgians OH Leuven in the 18-team league phase, in which all clubs play six matches -- three at home and three away.
Last season, Arsenal beat Lyon and Real Madrid in the knockout rounds en route to their second Champions League crown in May. They met Bayern twice in the group stage.
Chelsea is set to face tough opponents in the Women's Champions League, starting with a highly anticipated match against three-time champions Barcelona at home. This matchup is a rematch of last year's semifinals, where Barcelona dominated with an 8-2 aggregate score, winning 4-1 both home and away. Barcelona's pedigree in the competition is impressive, having featured in six of the past seven finals.
In addition to Barcelona, Chelsea's schedule includes:
Home Matches:
Barcelona: A chance for Chelsea to avenge last year's semifinal loss
AS Roma: A potential opportunity for Chelsea to secure points
Paris FC: Another home match where Chelsea can capitalize on their home advantage
Away Matches:
VfL Wolfsburg: A challenging fixture against a consistent European competitor, twice former winners
St. Polten: A match that could prove crucial in determining Chelsea's league phase standings
FC Twente: An away match where Chelsea will look to pick up points
Chelsea's recent history against Barcelona hasn't been favorable, especially in the semifinals of the 2023/24 UEFA Women's Champions League. Although they won the first leg 1-0 at Barcelona's Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, they lost 4-1 at Stamford Bridge in the return leg.
Manchester United's women's team is set to make history in the Champions League. After securing a 3-1 aggregate win over Brann, coach Marc Skinner expressed his excitement, saying, “We are history makers.” United will face top-tier teams in the league phase, including Lyon, Wolfsburg, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Valerenga from Norway, and Atletico Madrid.
Manchester United Upcoming Fixtures:
Home Matches:
Lyon: A challenging matchup against French champions
Paris Saint-Germain: A highly anticipated match against Mary Earps' new team
Valerenga: A potential opportunity for United to secure points
Away Matches:
Wolfsburg: A tough test against German champions
Juventus: A competitive match against Italian powerhouse
Atletico Madrid: A crucial fixture against Spanish side
Skinner emphasized the importance of being proactive and enthusiastic about playing against Europe's best teams. “I said to the players at the end, we've got to go in there and not just make up the numbers, we have to go and really be excited by the opportunity to play against Europe's best teams,” he said. “If you want to be there, you've got to perform against them.”
The top four teams in the Women's Champions League standings will qualify directly for the quarterfinals. Teams that finish fifth to 12th will advance to a knockout play-off round, with the winners proceeding to the quarterfinals.
Goosebumps. ❤️🔥
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) September 19, 2025
Setting the tone for another epic #UWCL season ✨#UWCLdraw pic.twitter.com/fx0vS23eTh
The first round of games in the league stage will be played on October 7-8.
Under the revised format that replaces the old group stage, aligning the competition more closely with the men's version, two more teams take part in the single-league phase.
The final is to be held in Oslo in late May.
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 1 teams 🏠✈️#UWCL || #UWCLdraw pic.twitter.com/7Z51dzgeay
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) September 19, 2025
Competition Format:
- The league stage features a single-league phase with 18 teams, each playing six matches - three at home and three away.
- The top four teams in the standings qualify directly for the quarterfinals.
- Teams finishing fifth to 12th advance to a knockout play-off round.
Key Dates:
League Stage: The first round of games will take place on October 7-8, with the final matchday scheduled for December 17, 2025.
Knockout Phase:
Knockout phase play-offs: December 18, 2025, and February 11-12, 2026
Quarterfinals: March 24-25, 2026, and April 1-2, 2026
Semifinals: April 25-26, 2026, and May 2-3, 2026
Final: The 2026 UEFA Women's Champions League final will be held at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway, from May 22-24, 2026.
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