Women's Champions League Matchday 1 preview

The UEFA Women's Champions League group stage kicked off on Tuesday and continues on Wednesday.

We preview the action, including a repeat of a 2022/23 quarter-final between Bayern München and Arsenal and holders Barcelona facing a trip to face Manchester City.

All times CET

Wednesday's games

Group C

Bayern vs Arsenal (18:45)

Two seasons ago these teams met in an exciting quarter-final where Bayern won 1-0 at home but Arsenal turned the tables in London with a 2-0 victory. Last season the Gunners missed out on the group stage and Bayern did not make the knockouts after conceding an 88th-minute Matchday 6 equaliser at home to Paris Saint-Germain to move from first to third in their section.

Ajax and Roma were also in Group C last season and Bayern are there again in a pool that looks no less tough. The July ACL injury to star signing Lena Oberdorf has denied the German champions a key talent for now but Bayern will again aim for a first European final, and Arsenal are hardly unfamiliar opponents for the likes of Pernille Harder and Georgia Stanway.

Ex-Bayern forward Vivianne Miedema left Arsenal for Manchester City but the arrival of Mariona Caldentey from Barcelona along with Rosa Kafaji and Netherlands goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar have further bolstered a strong Gunners squad. There was no repeat of last season's qualifying fall despite having to overturn a first-leg deficit against Kafaji's former club Häcken, done in style 4-0.

Vålerenga vs Juventus (21:00)

Vålerenga have never previously been among the last 16 under any format but got past Anderlecht to earn a group debut. Brann were the first Norwegian team to get to the group stage last season and made it to the quarter-finals, but they were dethroned as domestic champions in 2023 by Vålerenga, who are on course to retain the title.

Juventus missed the group stage last season and on the domestic front have been eclipsed by Roma of late but have made quite the start under new coach Massimiliano Canzi, knocking out 2023/24 semi-finalists Paris Saint-Germain in round 2, winning home and away.

Group D

Hammarby vs St. Pölten (18:45)

There were around ten months between Hammarby clinching their first Damallsvenskan title in 38 years on a dramatic final day, pipping eventual Women's Champions League quarter-finalists Häcken, and the Stockholm side making their European debut. That was against another of the 2023/24 last eight, Benfica, and despite Hammarby losing the home leg 2-1 in front of a qualifying record crowd of 12,062, they produced a memorable 2-0 victory in Lisbon, clinched in added time by recent signing Cathinka Tandberg, who has been prolific since joining from Linköping.

Since promotion back to the Damallsvenskan in 2021, Hammarby have been notable for their huge support, as seen against Benfica, and they will hope to make a flying start in front of their home fans against St. Pölten. However, the Austrian champions are in the group stage for a third straight season and will be keen to display their experience considering the two teams still to come in this group.

Man City vs Barcelona (21:00)

Those two other Group D teams last met in the 2020/21 quarter-finals, when Barcelona won 4-2 on aggregate on their way to their first title, but City prevailed 2-1 in the home second leg, the Blaugrana's only European loss that season. City, two-time semi-finalists in the past, are now in the group stage for the first time, having suffered two qualifying defeats by Real Madrid; their last five European eliminations have been by Spanish clubs.

City, though, only failed to dethrone Chelsea in England on goal difference last season and cruised past 2023/24 group contenders Paris FC 8-0 on aggregate, their goalscorers including new signing Vivianne Miedema in a team including former Barcelona players Leila Ouahabi and Laia Aleixandri.

But Barcelona, aiming to become only the second team to win three titles in a row or make a fifth straight final, are hardly short of star power themselves, not least ex-City talents Keira Walsh and Ellie Roebuck. The goalkeeper is joined by fellow stellar summer arrivals Kika Nazareth and Ewa Pajor, who has already been reviving her chemistry with former Wolfsburg colleague Caroline Graham Hansen. Pere Romeu is now in charge after stepping up to replace Jonatan Giráldez.