UEFA Women's Champions League group stage draw made
Monday, September 13, 2021
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The competition's first group stage kicks off in October and the draw has been made.
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The draw has been made for the first UEFA Women's Champions League group stage which kicks off on 5 and 6 October.
All four sections include some huge match-ups, with holders Barcelona up against former winners Arsenal while there is another encounter between two-time champions Wolfsburg and 2021 runners-up Chelsea. The top two teams in each group go into the knockout phase in spring.
Group stage draw in full
Group A: Chelsea (ENG), Wolfsburg (GER), Juventus (ITA), Servette (SUI)
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Breidablik (ISL), Real Madrid (ESP), WFC Kharkiv (UKR)
Group C: Barcelona (ESP, holders), Arsenal (ENG), Hoffenheim (GER), HB Køge (DEN)
Group D: Bayern München (GER), Lyon (FRA), Häcken (SWE), Benfica (POR)
Matchday 1: 5/6 October
Matchday 2: 13/14 October
Matchday 3: 9/10 November
Matchday 4: 17/18 November
Matchday 5: 8/9 December
Matchday 6: 15/16 December
Key facts
Group A
- Chelsea are facing Wolfsburg for the fifth time in seven seasons. Wolfsburg knocked out Chelsea in the 2015/16 round of 16, 2016/17 last 32 and 2017/18 semis but the Blues – having signed Pernille Harder from the German side – came through in the quarter-finals last season, both legs played in Budapest.
- Juventus have an additional motivation to reach this season's final, with the May showpiece to be held in their men's stadium.
- Servette have never previously made the last 16 under any format.
Group B
- Two-time runners-up Paris beat former quarter-finalists Breidablik 7-1 on aggregate in the 2019/20 round of 32.
- Breidablik are the first club from Iceland to reach a major UEFA club home and away group stage.
- Real Madrid reached the group stage on debut with a victory against Manchester City.
- Kharkiv are in the last 16 for the first time under any format.
Group C
- Barcelona, in their debut European tie, lost 3-0 at home and 4-0 away against Arsenal in the 2012/13 round of 32.
- Both Hoffenheim and HB Køge are making European debuts.
Group D
- Lyon's five-year reign as champions was ended last season; they have a record seven titles overall.
- Lyon beat Bayern 2-1 in a one-off quarter-final in Bilbao in August 2020.
- Bayern made the semis last season; Häcken (previously known as Göteborg) are also past quarter-finalists.
- Benfica are the first Portuguese team to be among the last 16 in UEFA women's club competition.
How does the group stage work?
Teams in every group face each other home and away. The top two teams in each group progress to the quarter-finals, drawn on 20 December and played in March.