The UEFA Women’s Champions League is a bit different this year and the new league phase has thrown up a host of interesting games.
The 18 clubs were drawn to play six games each and holders Arsenal will take on OL Lyonnes, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Benfica, Twente, OH Leuven, while Chelsea have been drawn against Barcelona, Wolfsburg, Roma, St. Polten, Paris FC and Twente.
Barcelona, who have made the last five finals (winning three) landed a draw that sees them face Bayern, Chelsea, Benfica, Roma, OH Leuven and Paris FC.
But which teams were happy? Which were sad? And what other storylines will there be in the league phase this season?
It was a good draw for …
Chelsea
Getting Barcelona out of the way early is the best-case scenario for Chelsea. It won’t be an easy game, but at least it shakes the cobwebs off before possibly facing them in the knockouts for what could be a fourth consecutive season. Other than the Spanish champions, the Blues, who are reigning English title holders, should secure comfortable wins. Wolfsburg and Roma will tough, but their other opponents are quite far behind in their development and it would be a shock if Sonia Bompastor’s side didn’t make the knockouts.
Barcelona
Is there such thing as a hard draw for Barcelona? The Spanish juggernauts have defeated every opponent they’ve faced and are sure to be contenders to make another final. Bayern and Chelsea have both beaten them before, but Barca went on to win the UWCL title in both those seasons. Roma and Paris FC have struggled in previous group stages and this is OL Leuven’s first crack at European football, so Barcelona have landed a pretty decent run considering they could have faced the likes of OL Lyonnes or Arsenal. They’re short on squad depth, but will be out for revenge, having lost to Arsenal in the final last season.
OL Lyonnes
Things should be fairly smooth for OL Lyonnes after a summer of large investment into the squad. Arsenal, Wolfsburg and Juventus are known opponents and Atletico Madrid, St Polten and Manchester United are unlikely to cause much trouble against a well-established side who are eight-time winners of the competition. One of the most competitive and well organized sides in Europe, the format change also works in OL Lyonnes’ favor as they’ve switched off in some second legs in recent seasons. Don’t expect that to happen this year.
It was a bad draw for …
Bayern Munich
With games against Arsenal, Barcelona, Juventus and PSG, it could not have gone much worse for the German champions. Though Bayern have played all these teams before, a draw against three-time winners and reigning champions is less than ideal. Juve and PSG have fallen out of favor in recent seasons but having rebuilt and regained some pedigree, it will not be easy. VÃ¥lerenga could also be a tough side to break down and although it has been a while since Atletico Madrid have featured in the competition, their domestic form this season — second to Barcelona in Liga F — proves that they could create some issues.
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg are not the force they once were — having struggled since their 2023 final appearance and failing to make the competition in 2024 — and while they play a Manchester United side who have never played in the Champions League and a VÃ¥lerenga that finished bottom of their group last season, the German giants also landed Real Madrid, PSG, OL Lyonnes and Chelsea. It is arguably one of the hardest sets of fixtures and this league phase campaign could accelerate Wolfsburg’s fall from grace.
Manchester United
As debutants and one of the lowest-ranked teams based on UEFA coefficient, having only featured in the qualifiers once before, United were never going to get an easy ride. They avoided Barcelona and could not have been drawn against domestic rivals Chelsea or Arsenal, who they play in the WSL on Sunday, but will face a tricky introduction to life among the top 18 teams in Europe as they landed Wolfsburg, OL Lyonnes, PSG and Juventus .VÃ¥lerenga and Atletico are not easy either and it could be a harsh learning curve for an inexperienced team struggling for squad depth.
Emotional reunion or unwelcome home?
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps is set to return to Leigh Sports Village with new club Paris Saint-Germain, but her reception back in Manchester may be less than warm. The 32-year-old spent five years at United, making more than 100 appearances, but left on a free transfer under something of a cloud in summer 2024 when she remarked that the club’s “period of transition” didn’t align with her career goals, adding that she wanted to “be in a position to win silverware.”
Earps announced her retirement from international football this year, just weeks before England’s ultimately successful attempt to defend their European crown at Euro 2025, and was also absent from PSG’s campaign in the World 7s tournament, which featured her former side. Whether she is between the sticks for the UWCL game remains to be seen, but it might not be the reunion she wanted.
Meanwhile, the new format has offered up several high-stakes showdowns early in the competition, including repeat clashes from last season’s semifinals. Chelsea once again meet long-time nemesis Barcelona, the side that have blocked their path to the final for three consecutive seasons, and Arsenal are again paired with OL Lyonnes, the team they overcame in the semifinals last season.
The Gunners had to put in a stellar 4-1 comeback after losing the first leg 2-1, but there will be no chance of that in the league phase as every match is decisive. And history doesn’t ease Chelsea’s nerves either: the last time they faced Barcelona in a single-leg game, the 2019 final, the Spanish side struck four goals in the first half to seal a ruthless 4-0 win. A lot has changed at Chelsea since then and it may be a good chance to assess their main rivals early, but it doesn’t feel like a reunion they wanted either.
Underdogs to cause a surprise?
VÃ¥lerenga may not be a household name, but they could be contenders for the knockouts despite being in Pot 3. The Norwegian side reached the group stage last season but finished bottom in a brutal draw alongside Arsenal, Juventus and OL Lyonnes. This time, however, they’ve avoided the so-called “big four” (Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona and OL Lyonnes) and instead face Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich from Pot 1.
Both are teams formidable, but far from invincible: Wolfsburg failed to progress past the qualifying round two seasons ago, while Bayern exited at the group stage. The rest of their draw is much kinder, pitting them against Roma, St. Pölten, Paris FC, and Manchester United. And, with every game key, a few strong results and dropped points elsewhere could be enough to push Vålerenga through.
Adding to their motivation is the fact that the UWCL final will be staged in their hometown of Oslo this season. While the 28,000-seat Ullevaal Stadion is modest compared with recent hosts, the prospect of contesting a European final on home soil will make VÃ¥lerenga all the more determined to get there.
Must-see matches of the league phase
Chelsea vs. Barcelona: There is a fierce history between the two clubs, as they have faced each other in the semifinals for the past three seasons. All three have ended in a Barcelona victory, and so did the 2019 final between the pair which ended 4-0. In the old format, they couldn’t have faced each other until the knockout rounds, but this year the clash arrives early and that may play into Chelsea’s hands. They’ve managed to win first legs against Barcelona before, only to falter in the return fixture. With no second chance this time, the Blues might see opportunity in the new format. Chelsea have strengthened in the transfer market already, while Barcelona have seen an exodus that has left their squad depth uncharacteristically thin.
Arsenal vs. OL Lyonnes: In another repeat of old foes, the reigning champions face the eight-time winners again after the pair met in last season’s semifinal; they also played against each other in the 2022-23 and 2024-25 group stage, with the Gunners coming out on top. Last year, Arsenal needed a wonderful comeback to progress, but over one leg, it could be completely different. OL Lyonnes will have to get it right straight away but they will have the home advantage.
OL Lyonnes vs. Man United: While eyes will be on United’s meeting with French giants PSG and the return of Earps, OL Lyonnes will be an interesting test too. Manager Marc Skinner has a dangerously thin squad, which has been hit by recent injuries and made worse by a lackluster transfer window. A game against the eight-time champions, with a squad that has almost double the depth, look tough for United. Without much support in the window, Skinner wants the team to “really push into our own way of doing it,” but that might be their undoing against top clubs like OL Lyonnes.
OL Leuven vs. Arsenal: A real “David and Goliath” story. Arsenal, a club with such a rich European history (who first won the competition in the 2006-07 season), face debutants OL Leuven in their first European campaign. The King Power At Den Dreef Stadium has been used for Belgium women’s home games and England have played there in the past two UEFA Nations League campaigns, so there will be some familiarity for Arsenal’s Lionesses.
Other big clubs’ fortunes in a sentence
Arsenal: As reigning champions there is a target on their back and their draw is pretty evenly matched. After winning the trophy last season, they should have invested enough to punish the less-experienced sides and though they’ll have to be solid to make it through, they have an easier draw than most.
Juventus: They know OL Lyonnes and Bayern Munich well, and have two inexperienced teams in Man United and Atletico Madrid, so it was a fairly good draw for Juve. But they will need to be close to perfect to progress.
PSG: Another balanced draw saw them land Real Madrid and both German giants. But they’ve also got both debutants, Man United and OL Leuven, so should pick up several wins. Ultimately it will be down to their ability to compete against the top teams that could be their undoing.