UEFA Women's Champions League: Barcelona vs St. Pölten facts

Barcelona and St. Pölten meet for the first time on Matchday 3 of UEFA Women's Champions League Group D.

Holders Barcelona lost their group stage opener at Manchester City 0-2 but responded in emphatic style with a 9-0 victory against Hammarby on Matchday 2 – their joint biggest win in the competition. St. Pölten, meanwhile, have suffered defeats against Hammarby (0-2) and Man City (2-3).

Form guide

Barcelona

St. Pölten are the first Austrian side that Barcelon have faced in UEFA competition.

The record-equalling Matchday 2 win over Hammarby on 16 October featured seven different scorers, Caroline Graham Hansen (10, 75) and Clàudia Pina (24, 58) both getting two in addition to goals from Alexia Putellas (45), María León (53), Ewa Pajor (72), Esmee Brugts (86) and Fridolina Rolfö (90pen).

Barcelona retained the trophy by defeating eight-time winners Lyon 2-0 in last season's final in Bilbao, goals from Aitana Bonmatí (63) and Putellas (90+5) helping the Spanish side win their third title.

It was their second in succession after beating Wolfsburg 3-2 in the 2023 final in Eindhoven in which Patri Guijarro (48, 50) and Rolfö (70) found the net as the Spanish side rallied from two goals down at the break.

Barcelona have reached the final in five of the past six seasons, losing to Lyon in 2019 (1-4) and 2022 (1-3) in addition to their three triumphs.

Barcelona have also won three domestic trophies in 2024. In January they lifted the Supercopa de España Femenina before claiming a record-extending ninth Liga F title in a dominant league campaign consisting of 29 wins, one draw and no defeats. They clinched their tenth Copa de la Reina – also a record – with an 8-0 final victory against Real Sociedad on 18 May.

In charge since 2021, Jonatan Giráldez departed as head coach after last season's Champions League triumph; he has been succeeded by assistant Pere Romeu.

Barcelona have won all five home games in all competitions this season, scoring 33 goals and conceding only three.

St. Pölten

Despite participating in ten previous Women's Champions League campaigns, St. Pölten have never faced a team from Spain before.

The Austrian side were on the verge of picking up their first points of the group stage on Matchday 2, when Melanie Brunnthaler (40) and Kamila Dubcová (53) put them 2-1 ahead against Manchester City on 16 October, but City responded with two further goals to take the three points at the NÖ Arena.

This is the third successive season in which St. Pölten have reached the group stage, although they first featured in the Women's Champions League in 2013/14.

The Austrian side finished third on their group debut in 2022/23, losing home and away to both Wolfsburg and Roma but taking four points from Slavia Praha.

They were once again drawn alongside Slavia in Group B last season but could only pick up a single point from their six games as they finished behind their Czech opponents, Brann and Lyon.

Celia Brancão's side defeated Neftçi (5-0) and Vllaznia (1-0) in round 1 of this season's competition and then recorded an 8-0 aggregate win (3-0 h, 5-0 a) against Mura in round 2. Dubcová scored three times in those four wins, with Sophie Hillebrand, Valentina Mädl, Melike Pekel and Mateja Zver all getting two goals.

A 2-4 aggregate defeat (2-2 a, 0-2 h) to Rosengård in 2021 was the only time St. Pölten featured in the round of 16 under the previous format.

St. Pölten were Austrian champions for the ninth time in 2023/24, going the whole season unbeaten (W15 D3) and finishing ten points ahead of First Vienna.

The Matchday 1 defeat at Hammarby on 9 October is St. Pölten's only loss in nine away games in all competitions this season (W7 D1).

Key facts

Barcelona have won all ten home group matches, the last nine without conceding a goal.

The Spanish side have won 23 of their last 25 home Women's Champions League matches (D1 L1), the sole reverse 0-1 against Chelsea in the first leg of the 2023/24 semi-final.

They have won 17 of their previous 20 group stage matches (D1 L2).

Graham Hansen has scored six goals in her last five group appearances.

St. Pölten are without a win in their last 11 group matches (D2 L9).

Their only group victory was a 1-0 success at Slavia Praha on 23 November 2022.