Chelsea will face Barcelona for the fourth straight season in the Women’s Champions League, this time in the new-look league phase as the draw for the expanded 18-team competition was revealed.
Chelsea have been eliminated by Barcelona at the semi-final stage three years in a row, including an 8-2 aggregate defeat last season, but Sonia Bompastor’s side will have their chance for revenge when they host Barcelona.
European champions Arsenal, who defeated Barcelona in last season’s final, will play Lyon and Real Madrid – two of the teams they beat on their way to winning the Champions League – as well as a trip to Bayern Munich.
Debutants Manchester United, who qualified through the play-offs on Thursday night, will welcome back former goalkeeper Mary Earps after drawing Paris Saint-Germain. United will also play Lyon, Wolfsburg and Juventus.
Each team in the league phase will play six fixtures, with three home and three away. Teams that finish in the top-four of the overall standings go through to the quarter-finals directly to the quarterfinals. Those ranked from 5th to 12th go to a play-off round, with the bottom six teams eliminated.
Women’s Champions League draw
Chelsea’s fixtures: Barcelona (home), Wolfsburg (away), Roma (home), St. Polten (away), Paris FC (home), Twente (away).
Arsenal’s fixtures: Lyon (home), Bayern Munich (away), Real Madrid (home), Benfica (away), Twente (home), OH Leuven (away).
Manchester United’s fixtures: Lyon (home), Wolfsburg (away), Paris St-Germain (home), Juventus (away), Valerenga (home), Atletico Madrid (away).
