Women's Champions League Matchday 1 preview

Here we preview the start of the new-look league phase with highlights including Arsenal v OL Lyonnes and Barcelona v Bayern München.

The new-look league phase of the Uefa Women's Champions League begins on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The expanded 18 teams will compete over six matchdays, with the top four teams progressing directly to the quarter-finals and the sides finishing between fifth and 12th advancing to February's knockout round play-offs, where they will compete to complete the last-eight line-up.

This evolution reflects Uefa and the European Club Association’s shared commitment to growing the women’s game and delivering world-class football to audiences across Europe and beyond.

This is underpinned by a series of groundbreaking global media rights agreements secured by UC3.

Across Europe, Disney+ will stream all 75 matches of the competition each season, while free-to-air coverage of one match per week is guaranteed in 30 territories through landmark deals with the European Broadcast Union and national broadcasters.

Internationally, CBS will broadcast Europe’s premier women’s club competition in English across the US, while ESPN will provide Spanish-language coverage for the US, in addition to holding the rights in Mexico, Latin America, Oceania and Sub-Saharan Africa (including South Africa). beIN Media Group will showcase the competition across South-East Asia as well as the Middle East and North Africa – ensuring truly global visibility.

Commercial partnerships have also been significantly expanded, underscoring the ever-increasing global appeal of the Uefa Women’s Champions League and reinforcing its status as a top tier commercial property in world sport.

Long-standing Uefa Women’s Football partners PepsiCo and Amazon have renewed their commitments through 2030 and will continue to play a central role in elevating the visibility and impact of the Uefa Women’s Champions League. Joining them is Vodafone, bringing fresh momentum and innovation to the competition’s partnerships portfolio. More partnerships will be announced in the coming weeks, further diversifying the commercial landscape and reflecting the competition’s increasing resonance with leading global brands committed to growing the women’s game as it enters a transformational phase of development.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, UC3 Co-Managing Director commented: “This season marks a major milestone for the Uefa Women’s Champions League. With a bold new format and an unprecedented global broadcast and commercial footprint, we are taking the competition to new heights. Through our partnerships with leading media rights and commercial partners, we are ensuring that more fans than ever can experience the very best of women’s club football, wherever they are in the world.”

Charlie Marshall, UC3 Co-Managing Director said: “The exciting new dawn will provide access to the Uefa Women's Champions League to more clubs and deliver more continental rivalry that we know fans enjoy and want to see. It is a landmark moment for the competition and for women’s football more broadly. Alongside the enhanced new format, we have delivered unprecedented global broadcast reach which will raise the visibility of clubs and their players on the biggest stage. We are proud to have delivered a competition and a platform that empowers clubs, engages fans worldwide and sets a new benchmark for the future of women’s football.”

Nadine Kessler, Uefa Women’s Football Director stated: "The Uefa Women’s Champions League is entering a transformative new chapter, one that reflects the incredible momentum behind the women’s game. With a new format designed to deliver more competitive matches and a truly global commercial footprint, we are not only elevating the sporting experience but also expanding the reach and impact of women’s club football as we continue to develop the game and inspire the next generation of players and fans worldwide."

Meanwhile, UC3 is proud to announce the extension of Heineken’s partnership with the Uefa Women’s Champions League until June 2030, reinforcing their long-standing commitment to women’s sport and its mission to foster real-world connections.

The renewed agreement highlights Heineken’s belief in the unique fan culture of women’s football – a celebration of inclusivity, diversity, and shared passion that brings people together both on and off the pitch.

Epstein said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Heineken as a proud sponsor of the Uefa Women’s Champions League. Their renewed commitment only serves as an endorsement of the competition’s growth and global appeal. Together, we will keep building on the momentum of recent seasons to elevate the women’s game and celebrate with fans around the world in new and exciting ways.”

Joanna Price, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at The HEINEKEN Company added: “At Heineken we have always been proud to support football and are delighted to extend that commitment today. Women’s football’s unique fan culture - where rival fans can sit alongside each other and connect through shared passion for the game - reflects the sense of true togetherness that drives our own business forward. Just as the games unites people on and off the pitch, we believe in creating connections that last.”

Action gets underway on Tuesday, with the final taking place at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo in May 2026.

Fixtures

Tuesday

Juventus v Benfica (6.45pm)

Two teams who competed in the old group stage three times out of the four seasons launch the new league phase with hopes of at least matching their record runs to the quarter-finals. Juventus, who got to the last eight in 2021/22, finished behind Arsenal and Bayern in their group a year ago but claimed the Italian double, ending Roma's two-year reign as champions and showed their ambition in the transfer window with their signings led by Switzerland midfielder Lia Wälti from the European champion Gunners.

Benfica missed out on the group stage last season having made the quarter-finals the year before. They also had a busy summer in the transfer market, adding experienced Portuguese internationals Ana Borges, Diana Gomes and Diana Silva, who boast a combined tally of more than 360 caps, alongside the likes of Caroline Møller from Real Madrid.

Arsenal v OL Lyonnes (9pm)

These two teams meet for a second consecutive season after facing each other in the semi-finals of Arsenal's title-winning 2024/25 campaign, when the Gunners overcame a 2-1 home loss to OL with a 4-1 second-leg success in France. As well as securing the permanent signing of one of their Uefa Women's EURO 2025 winners, Chloe Kelly, over the summer, Arsenal also made the high-profile addition of Canada forward Olivia Smith from Liverpool, although Saturday's 3-2 loss at Manchester City means they are without a win in three games. However, they boast two of the top three in the Ballon d'Or voting in Mariona Caldentey and another EURO winner, Alessia Russo.

Eight-time champions OL are not only in their first season under their new name but have also welcomed a fresh coach in Jonatan Giráldez - a two-time Women's Champions League winner with Barcelona - and a raft of playing arrivals including Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Jule Brand, Ingrid Engen and Lily Yohannes. Having to travel to Arsenal may also be a good omen for OL as they have won all four past trips to the Gunners - one of which ended Arsenal's previous reign as holders in the 2007/08 quarter-finals.

Barcelona v Bayern München (9pm)

Barcelona equalled an OL record by reaching a fifth straight final last season and set a new mark with their seventh semi-final in a row. Defender Laia Aleixandri is back at Barcelona after eight years away but otherwise their formidable team is familiar, with midfielder Aitana Bonmatí, now a three-time Ballon d'Or winner and they have started the domestic season in free-scoring mood.

Bayern won their last meeting with Barcelona 3-1 in the 2022/23 group stage, having lost 3-0 at Camp Nou a fortnight before. Last season they completed their first German double, clinching their third straight Frauen-Bundesliga title; but despite starting their Champions League campaign with a Pernille Harder-inspired 5-2 defeat of Arsenal, they fell in the quarter-finals to OL. New coach José Barcala has an early boost with the return to fitness of Lena Oberdorf, who had to wait a year for her club debut due to injury but then struck twice on her long-awaited first start for Bayern, against Leipzig.

Paris FC v OH Leuven (9pm)

While known as Juvisy, Paris reached the semi-finals in 2012/13, and made their breakthrough as Paris FC two years ago when they beat Wolfsburg to earn a group stage debut, where they twice defeated Real Madrid. Overcoming a tough challenge from Austria Wien to get to the league phase this time, they remain under the charge of club legend Sandrine Soubeyrand. But there are some team changes with the retirement of long-serving captain Gaëtane Thiney and departure of keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, with Mylène Chavas arriving from Madrid in goal and stalwart Clara Mateo the new skipper.

OH Leuven claimed their first major trophy last season by winning the Belgian league, earning a European debut in which they have beaten experienced campaigners SFK 2000 Sarajevo, Rosengård and Vorskla Poltava to earn a league phase spot. They are the first Belgian side to make the league phase or group stage, and hope to pick up points on their first of two trips to Paris - with PSG awaiting on Matchday 5 of a daunting fixture list that also includes Barcelona and reigning champions Arsenal.

Wednesday

Twente v Chelsea (6.45pm)

A year ago Twente earned a group stage debut in some style and picked up two wins against Celtic but those were their only points as they lost 3-1 at home and 6-1 away to Chelsea and were defeated twice by Real Madrid. The Dutch champions breezed through qualifying again this time as part of an impressive start for new coach Corina Dekker, whose squad is bolstered this season by Netherlands midfielder Jill Roord, back at Twente after an eight-year odyssey that took her to Bayern, Arsenal, Wolfsburg and Manchester City.

Chelsea completed an unbeaten domestic treble in their first season under Sonia Bompastor but for the third year running lost in the Women's Champions League semi-finals to Barcelona. Their ambition to end their wait for European silverware is clear, with summer arrivals including Ellie Carpenter and Alyssa Thompson while Sam Kerr has returned after more than a year out and their Women's EURO winners Hannah Hampton, Keira Walsh and Aggie Beever-Jones have contributed to a strong season start.

Real Madrid v Roma (6.45pm)

Both of these teams made their European breakthroughs under the recent group stage format, with Madrid making the quarter-finals on debut in 2021/22 and Roma emulating them a year later. Madrid returned to the knockout phase last season before becoming one of Arsenal's several second-leg comeback victims and this term they comfortably saw off four-time winners Eintracht Frankfurt to qualify for a fifth year in a row. They have brought back ex-youth coach Pau Quesada to take charge following Alberto Toril's departure and added goalkeeper Merle Frohms, experienced midfielder Sara Däbritz and defender Sara Holmgaard over the summer.

Roma made a superb start to the group stage last season only to be overhauled by Wolfsburg, and were then dethroned as Serie A champions by Juventus. But they showed promise in Champions League qualifying under new coach Luca Rossettini, including winning 2-0 away against Sporting CP to overturn a dramatic 2-1 first-leg loss. While Valentina Giacinti and goalkeeper Camelia Ceasar are among their summer departures, Roma's arrivals include Italy midfielder Valentina Bergamaschi, experienced Danish defender Katrine Veje and Australian international Winonah Heatley.

Manchester United v Vålerenga (9pm)

Manchester United's European debut two years ago was ended in qualifying by Paris Saint-Germain but this time they saw off PSV Eindhoven, Hammarby and Brann. Fridolina Rolfö arrived from Barcelona in the summer and Jess Park has joined after reaching the quarter-finals with Manchester City last season, and they held Chelsea 1-1 on Saturday with Anna Sandberg scoring a screamer. Elisabeth Terland scored hat-tricks against both PSV and her former club Brann to finish as seven-goal qualifying top scorer.

Terland will now hope to haunt more Norwegian compatriots in Vålerenga, who earned a group stage debut last season and recorded a dramatic draw against Bayern. The Oslo side are back after defeating HJK Helsinki, Slavia Praha and Ferencváros in qualifying. Vålerenga are currently chasing Brann as they seek a third straight Norwegian title and are set to face one of their former club favourites in Manchester in Celin Bizet.

St. Pölten v Atlético de Madrid (9pm)

St. Pölten, Austrian champions for the last 10 completed seasons, began their European history with six straight exits in the old round of 32. But they are now regulars among the true elite, coming through qualifying for the fourth year in a row by winning home and away against former finalists Fortuna Hjørring.

Atleti looked set for another qualifying exit when they trailed Häcken deep in second-leg added time. But a penalty equaliser from Luany and Synne Jensen's extra-time winner gave Atleti a long-awaited group stage/league phase debut, having made the 2019/20 quarter-finals under the competition's previous format.

Wolfsburg v Paris Saint-Germain (9pm)

This is the first time these two giants of the competition have met at this early stage. PSG knocked Wolfsburg out in the 2014/15 semis but the two-time champions turned the tables in the 2022/23 last eight. In last season's group stage, Wolfsburg recovered from losing their first two games to progress before losing to Barcelona in the quarter-finals. After a first trophyless season since 2011/12, much has changed in the squad with goalkeeper Stina Johannes, Janou Levels, Cora Zicai and Thea Bjelde among the arrivals, though Lineth Beerensteyn, Alex Popp and Svenja Huth remain.

PSG were knocked out in qualifying by Juventus last season, having previously reached at least the quarter-finals in their previous nine European entries. Former assistant Paulo César is now head coach and although Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Grace Geyoro recently ended long spells at the club, arrivals including Olga Carmona and Nigeria striker Rasheedat Ajibade show they are ready to make another bid for a first Champions League title.