Women's Champions League draw: Arsenal to face Barcelona & Lyon in league phase

Women's Champions League draw: Arsenal to face Barcelona & Lyon in league phase

The draw for the 2026/27 UEFA Women's Champions League took place Friday in Nyon, setting the stage for a high-stakes league phase that includes a heavyweight clash between reigning champions Barcelona and last season's semi-finalists Arsenal.

The competition will utilize a single league table consisting of 18 teams. Each side will play six matches — three at home and three away — against six different opponents, with two opponents drawn from each of the three pots. Following these six matchdays, the top four teams will advance directly to the quarter-finals. Those finishing between fifth and 12th place will enter knockout phase play-offs to compete for the remaining four quarter-final spots.

Arsenal faces a demanding schedule against both of last year's finalists. In addition to Barcelona and OL Lyonnes, the Gunners will take on Benfica, Paris FC, HB Koge, and Inter Milan. According to the draw, Arsenal's home fixtures include OL Lyonnes, Benfica, and HB Koge, while they will travel for matches against Barcelona, Paris FC, and Inter Milan.

Chelsea also faces a rigorous path, with opponents including Paris Saint-Germain, OL Lyonnes, Roma, BK Hacken, Austria Wien, and OH Leuven. The Blues, who qualified after a 6-2 aggregate victory over Real Sociedad, will play three of these matches at Plough Lane. Their home games are scheduled against Paris Saint-Germain, Roma, and Austria Wien, while they travel to face OL Lyonnes, BK Hacken, and OH Leuven.

Manchester City returns to the competition for the first time since the 2024/25 season. The Women's Super League champions will face Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, BK Hacken, Austria Wien, and Inter Milan. City will host Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, BK Hacken, and Austria Wien, with away trips to Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

The tournament marks a historic milestone for Italian football, as three Serie A Women sides enter the league phase. Inter, coming from the third pot, faces a difficult task with matches against Arsenal, Hacken, and Manchester City at home, and trips to Lyon, Real Madrid, and Austria Vienna.

Roma, the Italian champions, will host Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Servette. They travel to face Benfica, Leuven, and Chelsea. Notably, four of Roma's six opponents, Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Leuven, are the same teams they faced last year. Former Roma player Giulia Dragoni now plays for Chelsea.

Juventus, placed in pot two, will host Lyon, Benfica, and Leuven. Their away fixtures include Paris Saint-Germain, Hacken, and Austria Vienna. Their matchups against Lyon and Benfica are repeats from last season.

League Phase Schedule

• Matchday 1: 22 and 23 September 2026
• Matchday 2: 30 September and 1 October 2026
• Matchday 3: 28 and 29 October 2026
• Matchday 4: 10 and 11 November 2026
• Matchday 5: 18 and 19 November 2026
• Matchday 6: 16 December 2026

The road to the final continues into 2027, with knockout phase play-offs scheduled for February, followed by quarter-finals in March and April, and semi-finals in May. The final is scheduled to take place at Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw on May 28, 29, or 30, 2027.