Women’s Champions League: Man City Return, Barcelona Face New Challenge

The Women’s Champions League returns this week with Barcelona beginning their title defence and Manchester City back in the competition after missing last season’s league phase.

The second edition of the revamped league phase begins Tuesday, with 18 teams set to play six matches each. The top four teams in the standings will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while those finishing fifth to 12th will enter knockout-phase playoffs in February.

Barcelona enter the tournament as four-time champions but with a significantly changed squad. The Catalan club saw several prominent players depart during the offseason, including two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, Mapi León, Ona Batlle and Salma Paralluelo.

Three-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí remains the team’s central figure, alongside Ewa Pajor and Caroline Graham Hansen. Barcelona have also strengthened their attack with the addition of Brazilian winger Kerolin.

Their title defence begins at home against Paris FC on Wednesday. Paris FC reached the knockout-phase playoffs last season.

Manchester City, meanwhile, return to Europe’s elite competition after a season away from the league phase. Their return follows a hugely successful domestic campaign under coach Andrée Jeglertz, with City ending Chelsea’s dominance of the Women’s Super League and winning their first league title in a decade.

City also lifted the FA Cup to complete a domestic double. They begin their European campaign away against Bayern Munich on Tuesday, with Bayern having reached the semifinals last season.

“It was massively important to qualify,” City captain Alex Greenwood told UEFA.com, adding that the club enters every competition aiming to win.

The league phase will also feature debuts for Inter Milan and Austria Wien. Inter host Häcken on Tuesday after advancing through qualifying, while Austria Wien travel to Chelsea on Wednesday.