Women's Champions League round 1 finals: Frankfurt, Paris FC through while Juventus, Arsenal fall

The drama of the new UEFA Women's Champions League season began early with the likes of Arsenal and Juventus bowing out in round 1, with four-time champions Frankfurt plus teams including Ajax, Benfica, Glasgow City and Paris FC progressing through the knockout groups.

Round 1 was one of two rounds before the 16-team group stage, which begins in November. It was split into two paths: the champions path and the league path. In both paths, round 1 consisted of two stages, each of one-off knockout matches played in single-venue mini-tournaments: the semi-finals were on Wednesday and the finals/third-place play-offs on Saturday.

The winners of each final (11 in champions path, four in league path) now go into round 2 alongside Wolfsburg, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester United, among others. October's two-legged ties decide the 12 teams joining holders Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern and Chelsea in the group stage.

Former winners Arsenal, who were knocked out by Wolfsburg in extra time in last season's semi-finals, were beaten on penalties by Paris FC after a dramatic 3-3 draw. It is the first time in Arsenal's 16 European entries that they have not at least reached the quarter-finals.

Juventus, who like Arsenal were involved in the first two group stages, also miss out this time after an epic penalty shoot-out against Frankfurt, who are aiming to end a nine-year wait for their fifth title.

Last season's group stage contenders Benfica, St. Pölten and Zürich are safely through, but Vllaznia, who made history for Albania last year, lost to Valur, who advance with fellow former quarter-finalists Glasgow City. The last game to finish was another dramatic one, as Vålerenga equalised deep in added time of extra time with a penalty against Celtic, then won 11-10 on spot kicks.

Among the highlights of the semi-finals had been Arsenal's 3-0 win at Linköping, watched by a crowd of 7,805, a UEFA women's club record for Sweden and the biggest-ever for the first stage of the competition.

Round 1 groups

League path:

• Sixteen teams entered at this stage: the runners-up from the associations ranked seventh to 16th and the third-placed teams from the associations ranked first to sixth.
• They were drawn into four knockout mini-tournaments of four teams each.
• The winners of the four finals progressed to round 2, into which six teams have direct entry. Five group stage places are on offer in round 2.

Group 1 (hosts: Twente)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Levante 4-0 Stjarnan
Twente 6-0 Sturm Graz 

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
Sturm Graz 0-0 Stjarnan (aet, Stjarnan win 7-6 on pens)

Final 
Levante 2-3 Twente 

Group 2 (hosts: Eintracht Frankfurt)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Juventus 6-0 Okzhetpes
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 Slovácko

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
Slovácko 3-0 Okzhetepes

Final 
Juventus 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt (aet, Frankfurt win 5-4 on pens)

Frankfurt ended the hopes of JuventusJuventus FC via Getty Images

Group 3 (hosts: Linköping)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Arsenal 3-0 Linköping
Paris FC 4-0 Kryvbas 

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
Linköping 3-0 Kyvbas 

Final
Arsenal 3-3 Paris FC (aet, Paris FC win 4-2 on pens)

Group 4 (hosts: Vålerenga)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Brøndby 0-1 Celtic
Minsk 1-3 Vålerenga

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
Brøndby 2-1 Minsk 

Final
Vålerenga 2-2 Celtic (aet, Vålerenga win 11-10 on pens)

Enter in round 2:

Wolfsburg
Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid
Sparta Praha
Häcken
Manchester United

Champions path:

• 41 teams entered at this stage: the champions of the associations ranked eighth and below.
• They were drawn into 11 single-venue knockout mini-tournaments: eight with four teams and three with three teams.
• The winners of the 11 finals progressed to round 2, into which three teams have direct entry. Seven group stage places are on offer in round 2.

Group 1 (hosts: Universitatea Olimpia Cluj)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Ferencváros 2-2 Qiryat Gat (aet, Qiryat Gat win 3-1 on pens)
Universitatea Olimpia Cluj 6-2 Spartak Myjava

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
Ferencváros 7-0 Spartak Myjava

Final 
Universitatea Olimpia Cluj 0-0 Qiryat Gat (aet, Olimpia Cluj win 4-3 on pens)

Group 2 (hosts: SFK 2000 Sarajevo)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Vorskla 4-3 Flora Tallinn (aet)
SFK 2000 Sarajevo 0-4 Osijek 

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
SFK 2000 Sarajevo 5-3 Flora Tallinn 

Final 
Vorskla 3-0 Osijek

Group 3 (hosts: Mura)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Apollon LFC 9-0 Ljuboten
Mura 0-0 FC Samegrelo (aet, Samegrelo win 5-4 on pens)

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
Mura 7-1 Ljuboten

Final 
Apollon LFC 3-0 FC Samegrelo

Group 4 (hosts: HB Køge)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Spartak Subotica 7-0 KÍ Klaksvík
HB Køge 1-2 KuPS Kuopio

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
HB Køge 3-1 KÍ Klaksvík

Final
Spartak Subotica 2-1 KuPS Kuopio

Group 5 (hosts: Katowice)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Brann 5-0 Lokomotiv Stara Zagora 
Anderlecht 5-0 Katowice

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
Lokomotiv Stara Zagora 0-0 Katowice (aet, Katowice win 3-1 on pens)

Final 
Anderlecht 0-3 Brann

Group 6 (hosts: SL Benfica)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
BIIK-Shymkent 0-1 SFK Rīga 
Benfica 8-1 Cliftonville 

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
BIIK-Shymkent 4-2 Cliftonville

Final 
Benfica 4-0 SFK Rīga 

Group 7 (hosts: Vllaznia)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Valur 2-1 Ankara BB Fomget 
Vllaznia 4-2 EP-Hajvalia

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
EP-Hajvalia 0-6 Ankara BB Fomget 

Final
Vllaznia 1-2 Valur

Group 8 (hosts: Gintra)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-finals
Glasgow City 2-0 Shelbourne
Gintra 2-0 Cardiff City

Saturday 9 September

Third-place match 
Shelbourne 3-0 Cardiff City 

Final
Glasgow City 3-0 Gintra

Group 9 (hosts: St. Pölten)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-final
PAOK 6-1 Racing FC Union Luxembourg

Saturday 9 September

Final
St. Pölten 3-0 PAOK

Group 10 (hosts: Agarista Anenii Noi)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-final
Dinamo-BSUPC 9-0 Agarista Anenii Noi

Saturday 9 September

Final
Ajax 3-0 Dinamo-BSUPC

Group 11 (hosts: Birkirkara)

Wednesday 6 September

Semi-final
Breznica 0-1 Birkirkara

Saturday 9 September

Final
Zürich 3-1 Birkirkara 

Enter in round 2:

Slavia Praha
Rosengård
Roma

Club facts

• KÍ Klaksvík and Sarajevo were entering for a record 21st time (including the pre-2009 UEFA Women's Cup). Sarajevo extended their outright record to 21 straight appearances. Brøndby, after missing out last season, made a 20th entry.
• Eintracht Frankfurt won four titles under their previous guise of 1. FFC Frankfurt.
• Arsenal, semi-finalists last season, were winners in 2006/07.
• Brøndby and Paris FC (as Juvisy), have previously reached the semi-finals while Glasgow City, Juventus, Linköping and Valur have been in the last eight.
• Benfica and Juventus, like Arsenal, had played in both group stages since the round was introduced in 2021/22. St. Pölten, Vllaznia and Zürich appeared in last season's group stage. HB Køge were involved in the first group stage of 2020/21 but missed out a year ago.
• Debuts: Ankara BB Fomget, Cliftonville, GieKSa Katowice, Kryvbas.
• Samegrelo previously entered as FC Nike. Mura previously entered as Pomurje.

Season calendar

Round 2 draw
15 September, Nyon

Round 2
First leg: 10/11 October
Second leg: 18/19 October

Group stage draw
20 October, Nyon

Group stage
Matchday 1: 14/15 November
Matchday 2: 22/23 November
Matchday 3: 13/14 December
Matchday 4: 20/21 December
Matchday 5: 24/25 January
Matchday 6: 30/31 January

Quarter-final & semi-final draw
6 February, Nyon

Quarter-finals
First leg: 19/20 March
Second leg: 27/28 March

Semi-finals
First leg: 20/21 April
Second leg: 27/28 April

Final (San Mamés, Bilbao)
25 May