Women's Champions League Matchday 1 preview

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

We preview the action, including two big Anglo-Spanish encounters and the record eight-time champions taking on a club who have made it to the group stage at the first time of asking.

All times CET

Tuesday's games

Group A

Lyon vs Galatasaray (18:45)

There are few, if any, clubs more established in this competition than Lyon, who reached their 11th final last season and despite the loss to Barcelona still have twice as many titles as anyone else with eight. Galatasaray, by contrast, are on their competition debut and made a spectacular run through qualifying, taking out former quarter-finalists Slavia Praha to become the first Turkish side to get to the group stage.

Since last season Lyon have lost coach Sonia Bompastor to Chelsea, with former Arsenal and Juventus boss Joe Montemurro taking over. Delphine Cascarino and Griedge Mbock Bathy, veterans of many past successes, have departed, but Tabitha Chawinga (who nearly helped Paris Saint-Germain pip Lyon to last season's final), Sofia Huerta and Sofie Svava are three big summer arrivals to bolster OL's experienced squad.

Galatasaray could hardly have been handed a tougher start to life at the top European level but their own slew of August arrivals including Hapsatou Malado Diallo and Andrea Stašková proved invaluable in qualifying, adding to the side that claimed their first Turkish title last season in only their third campaign.

Roma vs Wolfsburg (18:45)

On debut two years ago, Roma found themselves in a group with Wolfsburg and comfortably went through in second place behind the German club after a home draw and away loss. With Lyon also in their section this time, Roma and Wolfsburg's encounters will probably have more at stake than which of the two gets quarter-final seeding, the Italian side having already been eliminated from a very tough group last year, behind Paris Saint-Germain, Ajax and Bayern with just five points separating the quartet after a breathless final day.

After comfortably retaining the Serie A title last season, Roma made a slow start to 2024/25 but have now hit their stride, as Servette FCCF found out in round 2 of this competition, the eventual aggregate 10-3. Wolfsburg, though, took out Fiorentina 12-0 over two legs in the same round including an away hat-trick by Alex Popp, just two games away from becoming only the second player to 100 competition appearances after Wendie Renard. Ewa Pajor, Lena Oberdorf and Dominique Janssen all left Wolfsburg in the summer but Lineth Beerensteyn and Justine Kielland are among those arriving.

Group B

Chelsea vs Real Madrid (21:00)

For the third year running this pair are in the same group, which may be a better omen for Chelsea considering on both occasions they won the home game and topped the section with Madrid eliminated in third. Chelsea, after the departure of long-serving Emma Hayes, are now coached by Bompastor and have made a flying start with high-profile signing Lucy Bronze beginning her bid to win this trophy with a third club after Lyon and Barcelona, the club that denied the Blues narrowly in the last two semi-finals as well as the 2021 final.

Madrid overcame a spirited Sporting CP side to qualify as they aim to emulate their debut run to the quarter-finals in 2021/22, Their squad of several 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup winners was added to in the summer by players including Melanie Leupolz, arriving from Chelsea, and it was the Germany midfielder who got the last-gasp winner in the away first-leg defeat of Sporting as well as setting up Athenea del Castillo's opener.

Celtic vs Twente (21:00)

Chelsea and Madrid have been ever-present over the group stage's four seasons but Celtic and Twente are newcomers; indeed the Scottish side have never been in the last 16 under any format. They welcome the Dutch champions to Celtic's new home of Douglas Park in Hamilton, with next month's match against Chelsea at Celtic Park.

Twente made the old round of 16 three times and while Ajax last season were getting past the group stage and reaching the quarter-finals, the Enschede club held off the Amsterdam side to reclaim the Eredivisie title. Although several key players departed in the summer, not least Wieke Kaptein to Chelsea, their results in Champions League qualifying suggest Twente recruited wisely with talents such as Nikée van Dijk, who has so far kept up her scoring form shown over the last couple of seasons at Belgian club Leuven.

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 may have 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 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.