The UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage draw was held earlier today, and as is customary for this tournament, it produced some intriguing matchups. The draw also revealed the groups that will battle for a spot in the knock-out stages of this competition. Here is a breakdown of the groups, with a look at some key storylines:
Chelsea's Kind Draw
Chelsea, the reigning Women’s Super League champions, were seeded in Pot 1, alongside Bayern Munich, finalists (and Sonia Bompastor’s previous team) Olympique Lyonnais, and defending champions Barcelona. Fellow WSL heavyweights Manchester City and Arsenal were in Pot 2.
Chelsea, as the Champions of England, were seeded in Pot 1, alongside Bayern Munich, finalists (and Sonia Bompastor’s previous team) Olympique Lyonnais, and defending champions Barcelona. Fellow WSL heavyweights Manchester City and Arsenal were in Pot 2. All concerned with Chelsea will no doubt speak respectfully about their opponents in this group but the reality is that the Women’s Super League champions will be delighted with how the draw panned out for them. They have avoided some of the longer away trips in that two of their opponents are fewer than 400 miles from London. Real Madrid’s relatively disappointing record in this competition also makes them, theoretically at least, the kinder of the two sides Chelsea could have been draw to face from Pot 2. Chelsea’s new manager, Sonia Bompastor, has experience of winning this competition and her side will be among the favourites to do so.
Arsenal Face a Tough Test
Back in the group stages after a one-year absence, Arsenal have been handed the trickiest draw of the three English clubs. Nonetheless, they still have an excellent chance of progressing to the knockout stages. Their meetings with Bayern Munich will bring back memories of 2023’s high-quality quarter-final, which Arsenal won 2-1 on aggregate, but Bayern have strengthened well since then and they will be a formidable force in Europe this season. Juventus produced the standout result of the qualifying rounds, stunning Paris Saint-Germain to knock out last season’s semi-finalists, and the Norwegian champions, Vålerenga, will not simply be making up the numbers either, so this will be a testing group for Jonas Eidevall’s team. Yet they and Bayern, given their resources, will be expected to deliver.
Manchester City's Return to the Big Stage
Manchester City are involved in the group stages for the first time since the competition’s format was changed in 2021 and they will be eager to make up for lost time. Their games against Barcelona will be a repeat of their quarter-final meeting in the 2020-21 campaign, when the Catalan side went on to lift the first of their three European titles. That tantalising match-up could also see Gareth Taylor’s side face the former Manchester City players Keira Walsh and Ellie Roebuck, not to mention the Ballon d’or winner Aitana Bonmatí. Those head-to-head contests should provide great entertainment. However, on the evidence of how comfortably City dispatched Paris FC during the qualifying process, and recollecting the St Pölten’s 7-0 loss to Lyon in this competition last season, there could well be some one-sided scorelines in this group, and it would be a huge shock if City and Barcelona did not qualify for the knockout stages.
The Full Groups
Here are the full groups for the 2024-25 Women’s Champions League group stage:
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 Battle for European Supremacy
The first round of group games take place on 8 and 9 October, and the top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals. The Women's Champions League is a fiercely contested competition, with top teams from across Europe vying for the prestigious title. This season, the draw has set the stage for some compelling matchups, and fans of women’s football can expect to witness exciting battles on the pitch.
