The Girls’s Champions League is again this week – however not as you realize it.
This 12 months marks the introduction of the inaugural league part with all three English representatives handed robust fixtures.
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Defending champions Arsenal are joined by Girls’s Tremendous League champions Chelsea, in addition to Manchester United – who will likely be making their debut within the competitors after coming by means of qualifying.
The English contingent will likely be joined by 15 different golf equipment from throughout Europe who will likely be trying to elevate the trophy in Might in Oslo, Norway.
From Chelsea’s journey to Barcelona to the return of Paris St-Germain keeper Mary Earps to Manchester United, there may be loads to look ahead to.
BBC Sport takes a deeper have a look at the competitors and what to anticipate this time round.
How does the league part work?
The Girls’s Champions League is following the lead of the lads’s match this 12 months and transferring from a gaggle format to a league part.
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For individuals who have already adopted the lads’s competitors, it is a related thought – however there are some adjustments.
There are half the variety of groups, 18 reasonably than 36, which suggests there is no such thing as a final 16 and groups play six matches reasonably than eight within the first part.
Groups ending first to fourth will mechanically qualify for the quarter-finals, with the subsequent eight groups – from fifth to twelfth – dealing with off in two-legged play-offs to find out who will be a part of them.
The edges from thirteenth to 18th will see their journey come to an finish for the season.
What are the English groups’ probabilities?
Arsenal are the one English aspect to have received the Girls’s Champions League [Getty Images]
On paper… good!
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Arsenal, in fact, are the defending champions after beautiful Barcelona in Might to turn into two-time winners.
The Gunners face a troublesome opener at house to Lyon, whereas they can even tackle Actual Madrid – two groups they beat on their run to the trophy final season.
Nonetheless, Renee Slegers’ aspect have endured a troublesome begin to the season and can will head into their Champions League opener on Tuesday on a three-game winless run.
For Chelsea, the Champions League has proved elusive up to now.
Sonia Bompastor’s aspect conquered each home title final time period and discover themselves on the prime of the WSL desk 5 video games into the marketing campaign.
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However they have been thrashed 8-2 by Barcelona within the two-legged Champions League semi-finals final time period and can meet the Spanish aspect once more in maybe probably the most eye-catching match of the league part.
The Blues have added to an already successful squad by bringing in Champions League winner Ellie Carpenter and USA worldwide Alyssa Thompson, whereas Sam Kerr has returned to health after 20 months out with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage.
Above all others, that is the trophy Chelsea need.
Manchester United come into this competitors with completely different ambitions than Arsenal and Chelsea – however will nonetheless wish to progress as deep as they’ll.
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They got here by means of two rounds of qualifying to e-book their spot in the principle draw for the primary time.
Unbeaten within the WSL this season, United will host PSG – that means a reunion with goalkeeper Earps – and former winners Lyon and Wolfsburg.
Marc Skinner has already highlighted his want to strengthen his squad within the winter, with United missing the depth wanted to compete on all fronts.
However with the likes of Ella Toone and new addition Jess Park pulling the strings within the centre of the pitch, United may earn some optimistic outcomes.
Arsenal’s fixtures
Tuesday, 7 October – Lyon (h)
Thursday, 16 October – Benfica (a)
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Wednesday, 12 November – Bayern Munich (a)
Wednesday, 19 November – Actual Madrid (h)
Tuesday, 9 December – Twente (h)
Wednesday, 17 December – OH Leuven (a)
Chelsea’s fixtures
Wednesday, 8 October – Twente (a)
Wednesday 15 October – Paris FC (h)
Tuesday, 11 November – St Polten (a)
Thursday, 20 November – Barcelona (h)
Wednesday, 10 December – Roma (h)
Wednesday, 17 December – Wolfsburg (a)
Man Utd’s fixtures
Wednesday, 8 October – Valerenga (h)
Thursday, 16 October – Atletico Madrid (a)
Wednesday, 12 November – Paris St-Germain (h)
Wednesday, 19 November – Wolfsburg (a)
Wednesday, 10 December – Lyon (h)
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Wednesday, 17 December – Juventus (a)
Who else may contend?
Alexia Putellas is a three-time Champions League winner [Getty Images]
As ever the place the Champions League is worried, it’s tough to look past Barcelona.
The Catalans have reached the previous 5 finals – successful three of them – and boast three-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati of their gifted squad.
Final 12 months’s runners-up are tearing up Liga F as soon as once more, successful their opening six video games – conceding simply as soon as and scoring 30 targets.
French aspect Lyon have received this competitors a file eight occasions – most not too long ago in 2022 underneath Bompastor. Prime of the French league, they’re one other aspect who can have eyes on a deep run.
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They have been bested by eventual winners Arsenal within the semi-finals and will likely be searching for revenge when the edges meet within the league part.
German champions Bayern Munich have made it to the semi-finals twice of their historical past however definitely have a squad able to going additional.
Bayern beat Arsenal within the group phases final season however have been knocked out on the quarter-final stage by Lyon.
Proficient midfielder Lena Oberdorf is again to health after an ACL damage and can be a part of England’s Georgia Stanway in the course of the pitch.
Their German rivals Wolfsburg – two-time Champions League winners – can by no means be dominated out and have matched Bayern for tempo up to now within the Frauen-Bundesliga this season, with the 2 sides degree on factors on the prime of the desk.
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What else to look out for?
There may be loads to look ahead to on this 12 months’s version of the Girls’s Champions League.
Making their debut alongside Manchester United are Belgian champions OH Leuven. They’ve been handed big-name ties towards Arsenal, Barcelona and PSG.
When the league part happened for the primary time within the males’s Champions League final season, the competitors threw up loads of surprises.
Defending champions Actual Madrid completed eleventh, 2023 winners Manchester Metropolis made it by means of to the knockouts with only one level to spare, whereas eventual winners Paris St-Germain ended up fifteenth.
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In the meantime, groups like Aston Villa and Lille carried out higher than anticipated to qualify mechanically for the final 16.
So, may we see the identical form of surprises within the girls’s competitors?
“In relation to the Champions League and this new format of a league stage, I believe it may be robust enjoying these video games house and away,” former England defender Steph Houghton instructed BBC Soccer Focus.
“To deal with Champions League soccer and in addition the WSL you want large squads to have the ability to rotate and be contemporary on gameday.”
Easy methods to observe the competitors?
BBC Sport has signed a five-year deal to broadcast stay Girls’s Champions League matches from this season.
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As much as seven stay matches – together with the ultimate – will likely be obtainable to look at every season throughout BBC TV, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport web site and app.
The primary recreation to be proven will likely be Manchester United’s match with Paris St-Germain at Previous Trafford on 12 November, adopted by Chelsea’s assembly with Spanish giants Barcelona on 20 November.
Different matches will embrace each legs of 1 semi-final and 4 matches from earlier within the competitors.
One of the best moments from different video games can even be obtainable throughout BBC Sport’s digital platforms and social media, whereas BBC Radio 5 Reside will proceed to deliver stay commentary of the most important video games all through the season.



