This season's UEFA Women's Champions League started with 72 teams. Come Friday, only 16 will remain as the draw for the group stage takes place. Held in Nyon, Switzerland at 12pm UK time, the draw will pit Chelsea, who reached last season's semi-finals, against three other heavyweight clubs from across the continent. And for the first time on Europe’s biggest stage, the Blues will be led by head coach Sonia Bompastor, who has had plenty of success in the competition. In 2022, Bompastor became the first – and remains the only – woman to win the Champions League as both a player and a coach. She lifted the trophy twice in her playing career with Lyon and once as a coach of the French club.

Ahead of Friday's group-stage draw, we have detailed everything you need to know about this season's UEFA Women's Champions League...

The Blues are one of four clubs that have automatically qualified for this season’s group stage, the others being current holders and Spanish champions Barcelona, French champions Lyon, and German champions Bayern Munich. Joining that quartet in the hat for the group stage will be 12 teams who have progressed through the qualifying rounds. The final round two matches will be played on Thursday evening. Seven of those 12 clubs will have come through the champions pathway, with the fifth, sixth and seventh UEFA-ranked associations seeing their respective league winners entering in round two. Clubs from UEFA associations ranked eighth or lower entered the first round stage, which was formatted as a mini-tournament. The remaining five clubs have progressed to the group stage via the league qualifying pathway, which saw the runners-up of the six-highest-ranked UEFA associations enter at the second-round stage. Clubs from those associations who finished third in their respective divisions last season – and the runners-up from the next ten highest-ranked associations entered round one.

UEFA Women’s Champions League Format

A total of 16 clubs will compete in the Champions League group stage. They will be drawn into four groups of four and each team will play each other home and away. The top two sides from each group will qualify for the knockout stage, which begins in March. The draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place on 7 February. All ties in the knockout stage, excluding the final, will be played over two legs with teams playing a fixture at home and away. This season's competition is the last in the current format. From the start of the 2025/26 campaign, clubs that have made it through the opening rounds will qualify for the group stage, which consists of an 18-team league. The top four from that league will advance into the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, clubs that finish between fifth and twelfth place will advance into a play-off round to secure their spot in the last eight. A straight knockout format then ensues.

Key Dates for the 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League

*Matchday 1: 8/9 October *Matchday 2: 16/17 October *Matchday 3: 12/13 November *Matchday 4: 20/21 November *Matchday 5: 11/12 December *Matchday 6: 17/18 December

Knockout Stage Dates

*Quarter-finals: *First leg: 18/19 March *Second leg: 26/27 March

*Semi-finals: *First leg: 19/20 April *Second leg: 26/27 April

*Final: 23, 24 or 25 May

Where is the Final?

All roads lead to Portugal for this year’s final, with the showpiece match set to take place at the José Alvalade Stadium, the home of Sporting CP. The stadium has a capacity of 50,095 and previously hosted the 2005 UEFA Cup final. It is a potential venue for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which is set to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Chelsea's History in the UEFA Women's Champions League

History was made when we reached our maiden UWCL final during the 2020/21 campaign. And while we suffered defeat to Barcelona that night in Gothenburg, it remains an important milestone for the club. Last season, we reached the semi-finals. Barcelona were again the opponents and the Spanish side recorded a 2-1 victory on aggregate. The second leg saw us sell-out Stamford Bridge for the first time.

Chelsea's Champions League Experience

In addition to Bompastor, there are several Champions League winners within our squad and staff. Assistant coach Camille Abily won five European titles during her playing career with Lyon, with her final success in 2017/18 being the first for then-teammate and current Blues defender Lucy Bronze. Bronze would win three Champions Leagues with Lyon in total, all of which came in consecutive seasons. The English international added further triumphs in 2022/23 and 2023/24 with Barcelona. Summer signing Julia Bartel also featured in Barcelona's recent European campaign, with the Spanish midfielder making her Champions League debut in December 2023 against Rosengard. There is another five-time Champions League winner in our backline: Kadeisha Buchanan. The Canadian won the competition in all but one of her seasons playing for Lyon, with her final title before joining Chelsea achieved in Bompastor's first term as head coach. Also part of the Lyon squad in the 2021/22 season was Chelsea forward Catarina Macario, while French defender Eve Perisset also picked up a European winners medal with Lyon in 2015/16.

What's Next for Chelsea?

The draw for the group stage will take place on Friday, and Chelsea will be looking to make a strong start to their Champions League campaign. With a wealth of experience and talent in the squad, the Blues will be confident of reaching the knockout stages once again. However, the group stage will be a tough test, with some of Europe's best teams in contention. The Blues will need to be at their best if they want to be crowned champions in May.

The Week in Women's Football: Examining the Champions League Path

The Women’s Champions League is a complex tournament with several different qualifying pathways. The league qualifying path features several teams, including Sparta Prague, who have shown the potential to make a run at the group stage. However, the champions path is arguably more difficult, with numerous matches against teams from various countries. One of the most intriguing teams in the champions path is Ferencvarosi TC of Hungary, who have a mix of international players and talented young players. This team will be one to watch in the group stage and could surprise some of the bigger teams.

Ballon d’Or Féminin: NWSL Representation

The Ballon d’Or Féminin is one of the most prestigious awards in women’s football, and the NWSL is well represented this year. Six NWSL players are nominated for the award, which recognizes the sport’s best players on the world stage. The six nominees include Barbra Banda, Alyssa Naeher, Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, and Tarciane. The NWSL is also represented in the nominations for Women’s Team Coach of the Year and Women’s Club of the Year. The award ceremony will take place in Paris, France on Monday, October 28.

Conclusion: An Intriguing Season Ahead

The 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League is shaping up to be a thrilling season, with plenty of exciting matchups and storylines to follow. The group stage draw will be the first step on the road to the final, and Chelsea will be hoping to make a strong start to their campaign. The Blues are one of the favorites to lift the trophy, but they will face stiff competition from some of Europe's best teams.