Women's Champions League group stage draw made
Friday, October 20, 2023
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Barcelona-Frankfurt, Bayern-Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea-Real Madrid are among the games to look forward to.
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The UEFA Women's Champions League group stage draw has been made by UEFA managing director of women's football Nadine Kessler and former Arsenal and Bayern player Viktoria Schnaderbeck.
Holders Barcelona have four-time winners Eintracht Frankfurt among their group rivals, while Lyon, hoping to lift the trophy for a record ninth time, have opponents including Brann, meaning a possible meeting of sisters Ada and Andrine Hegerberg.
The two other groups look extremely tough to call, Bayern München taking on fellow 2022/23 quarter-finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Roma as well as Ajax, and Chelsea up against Real Madrid, Häcken and Paris FC, who knocked out Arsenal and Wolfsburg to qualify.
Group fixtures will run from 14 November to 31 January.
UEFA Women's Champions League groups
Group A: Barcelona (ESP, holders), Rosengård (SWE), Benfica (POR), Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
Group B: Lyon (FRA), Slavia Praha (CZE), St. Pölten (AUT), Brann (NOR)
Group C: Bayern München (GER), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Roma (ITA), Ajax (NED)
Group D: Chelsea (ENG), Real Madrid (ESP), Häcken (SWE), Paris FC (FRA)
The top two teams from each group progress to the quarter-finals
Draw guide
- Holders Barcelona are joined by fellow former champions Lyon and Frankfurt, though both Wolfsburg (last season's runners-up) and Arsenal miss out after losing to Paris FC.
- Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are former runners-up, while Bayern, Paris FC and Rosengård are past semi-finalists. Häcken, Real Madrid, Roma and Slavia have made the last eight.
- Barcelona, Bayern, Benfica, Chelsea, Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have reached the group stage in all three seasons since the round was introduced in 2021/22. Roma, Rosengård, St. Pölten and Slavia made it last season, as did Häcken the year before.
- Ajax and Brann are the first teams from the Netherlands and Norway respectively to make the group stage. Brann are the only club who have never previously been among the last 16 in any format.
- France is the second nation to have three teams in a group stage after Germany (Wolfsburg, Bayern and Hoffenheim) in 2021/22. Paris is the second city to have two teams in a group stage after London (Arsenal and Chelsea) in 2021/22 and 2022/23.
- Barcelona beat both Benfica and Rosengård home and away in last season's group stage. Benfica won both games against Rosengård. Barcelona also beat Rosengård in the 2016/17 quarter-finals. Frankfurt (while still FFC Frankfurt rather than Eintracht) beat Rosengård (then known as Malmö FF) in the 2003/04 semi-finals.
- Lyon beat Slavia in the 2015/16 quarter-finals. In last season's group stage, St. Pölten won 1-0 at Slavia and drew 1-1 away.
- Lyon against Brann will bring together sisters Ada and Andrine Hegerberg.
- Paris knocked Bayern out in the quarter-finals of 2015/16 and 2021/22. Bayern beat Ajax in the 2020/21 round of 32.
- Chelsea beat Real Madrid 2-0 at home and drew 1-1 away in last season's group stage.
- When Häcken were known as Göteborg FC and Paris FC were still FCF Juvisy-Essonne, the pair met in the 2012/13 quarter-finals, the French side winning both legs, and 4-1 on aggregate.
UEFA Women's Champions League season calendar
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 Stadium, Bilbao)
25 May
