Women's Champions League Matchday 2 preview

The UEFA Women's Champions League group stage continues on Wednesday and Thursday

We preview the action, as the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal took to get off the mark, and the latest chapter in one of the great competition rivalries as Wolfsburg host Lyon.

Wednesday's games

Group C

Juventus vs Bayern 

Matchday 1 went well for both these teams. Sofia Cantore, who scored in both legs of Juve's round 2 elimination of Paris Saint-Germain, was on target again for a 1-0 win at Vålerenga while Bayern came from behind to defeat Arsenal 5-2 courtesy of a 14-minute second-half Pernille Harder hat-trick.

Three years ago Juve surprised many by coming through a group with a German club and a London side – Wolfsburg and Chelsea – and a good home result against Bayern would leave them well-placed to do so again ahead of November's Arsenal double-header. Bayern, however, will look to follow up what coach Alexander Straus called a "really great" display against the Gunners.

Arsenal vs Vålerenga

Arsenal themselves could not have asked for a bigger contrast that their previous Matchday 1 two years before when they won 5-1 at Lyon. Now they welcome Vålerenga and having never, in more than 100 European fixtures, played Norwegian opposition before beating Rosenborg 1-0 in last month's round 1 final at Borehamwood, now face another Toppserien club.

The loss to Juve on their group stage debut was a rare blip in Vålerenga's memorable 2024 but things will be no easier at Arsenal Stadium. The Oslo side may also note that the last time Arsenal suffered a heavy Matchday 1 defeat, 4-1 at Barcelona in 2021/22, they returned home and beat Hoffenheim 4-0 the following week.

Group D

St. Pölten vs Man City 

City's two previous attempts to reach the group stage were thwarted by Real Madrid but this time they cruised past Paris FC in round 2, and topped that last week with a brilliant 2-0 defeat of holders Barcelona courtesy of Naomi Layzell – who scored her first senior goal but was later injured – and Khadija Shaw. Twice semi-finalists under the old format, City underlined their status as key challengers to Barcelona's title.

St. Pölten moved to ten group games without a win as they lost 2-0 at Hammarby on Matchday 1 and will be well aware the last time they welcomed City to Austria, the visitors won 3-0 – as they did they other leg of that round of 32 tie in 2017/18.

Barcelona vs Hammarby 

It seems odd to see Barcelona, who have won three of the last four titles and are aiming to make a fifth straight final, trailing debutants Hammarby in the early group table. But that is the reality after the Spanish side dropped points before Matchday 4 for the first time.

They are rarely slowed down for long, but Hammarby have been impressing on their European campaign, not only defeating St. Pölten in their opener but perhaps even more impressively, getting to the group stage with a dramatic round 2 second-leg victory at 2023/24 quarter-finalists Benfica, who held Barcelona in Lisbon last season. Of course the Blaugrana will prove another test entirely; in their nine previous home group stage games, Barcelona have picked up a maximum 27 points, scoring 45 goals with only one conceded.

Thursday's games

Group A

Galatasaray vs Roma 

Galatasaray, who on their debut European season became the first Turkish side to reach the group stage, could not have asked for a tougher start than visiting Lyon but on a rainy night in France the visitors showed spirit in a 3-0 loss to the eight-time champions. It does not get any easier, though, as Galatasaray now host Italian champions Roma, fresh from their potentially crucial 1-0 defeat of Wolfsburg.

Last year a strong start of four points from two games did not help Roma through, as they managed only a single draw in the remaining four fixtures, but it was a tenacious performance against Wolfsburg who had more than their share of chances. The trip to Istanbul is Roma's chance to show they can dominate as favourites, as they did in the round 2 second-leg 7-2 victory at Servette FCCF, when a 3-1 home win had left the tie far from decided.

Wolfsburg vs Lyon 

In the just over two decades since UEFA women's club competition began a few classic rivalries have been born and this is perhaps the richest of all. It is not the most played tie – Lyon have met Paris Saint-Germain 12 times in Europe and this will be only their ninth meeting with Wolfsburg – but for more than a decade, these clubs have faced off for the very biggest stakes.

Four times these teams have played each other in finals, one more than either Frankfurt-Umeå or Lyon-Barcelona. Wolfsburg prevailed in the first, on debut in 2013, winning 1-0 against a Lyon side unbeaten in over 100 games, but OL had revenge in 2016 (on penalties), 2018 (in extra time) and 2020 (a 3-1 victory with considerable twists). Lyon also took out Wolfsburg in the 2016/17 and 2018/19 quarter-finals, each time winning in Germany.

Plenty of personal rivalries will be renewed, including Lyon's Wendie Renard, the only player with more than 100 competition appearances, up against Wolfsburg's Alex Popp, set to become the second woman to reach a century on Thursday; both were involved in all eight past encounters, as was Eugénie Le Sommer and her now departed Lyon colleague Sarah Bouhaddi. The stat that really matters for Wolfsburg is getting off the mark in Group A after that loss at Roma, having hit the crossbar more than once in search of an equaliser, and closing the gap on Lyon.

Group B

Real Madrid vs Celtic 

Real Madrid suffered a sixth straight group stage loss on Matchday 1 as they were beaten 3-2 at Chelsea but there were more than a few signs in London that they can avoid a third consecutive exit in this round. Madrid trailed 2-0 and 3-1 but their late surge after the introduction of Linda Caicedo (her minutes being managed after travelling to the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup) suggested that Alberto Toril's revamped squad are a threat to anyone this season.

Celtic also lost on Matchday 1, the first Scottish side to make the group stage falling 2-0 to goals late in each half for Twente. The visit to Madrid is perhaps the greatest test for Celtic in the 17-year history of their women's team.

Twente vs Chelsea 

The two Matchday 1 winners face off on Enschede in what is a quick return to Twente for Chelsea's Wieke Kaptein, signed by the London club from the Dutch side in summer 2023 but loaned back for last season to help the Tukkers pip Champions League quarter-finalists Ajax to the Eredivisie title. Kaptein featured as an illness and injury-hit Chelsea side beat Madrid 3-2 in their first European game under Sonia Bompastor and the Blues will hope to continue their excellent away Champions League form under Emma Hayes last season, winning at Ajax and Barcelona among others.

Kayleigh van Dooren, who was already the four-goal joint-top scorer in qualifying, got both as Twente won their group debut at Celtic. But this will be the test to see if they can challenge the top two seeds and emulate Ajax's quarter-final run last season.