UWCL Draw: Arsenal Face Barcelona in 2025 Final Rematch as Chelsea Draw Lyonnes

The UWCL league phase draw pits 2025 champions Arsenal against Barcelona, while Chelsea prepares to face eight-time winners OL Lyonnes.

Arsenal will travel to face reigning champions Barcelona in the league phase of the Women's Champions League, a fixture that serves as a repeat of the 2024-25 historic final held in Lisbon. The Gunners, who secured the 2025 title, are also scheduled for away trips to Paris FC and debutants Inter Milan. The Italian side reached this stage for the first time by eliminating former champions Wolfsburg via a penalty shootout. At home, the north London club will host eight-time winners OL Lyonnes, Benfica, and HB Køge across the six-game schedule.

Chelsea entered the competition through the qualifying rounds after a third-place finish in the WSL. The Blues advanced to the league phase following a 6-2 aggregate victory over Real Sociedad. Their upcoming home slate features matches against Paris Saint-Germain, Roma, and debutants Austria Wien. For their away fixtures, the eight-time English champions will visit Lyonnes, Europa Cup winners BK Häcken, and OH Leuven. These three trips are noted as relatively short journeys within a crowded domestic calendar.

Manchester City Returns to European Competition

Manchester City enters the tournament as the current English domestic title holders, having dethroned Chelsea to win the league for the first time in ten years. Despite deadline day recruitment challenges and current injury concerns, City avoided drawing Barcelona, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Lyonnes. Location rules prevented the club from being drawn against their fellow English competitors. City will host PSG, Real Madrid, and Austria Wien at home. Their away schedule includes a trip to Bayern Munich, the team that eliminated Manchester United in last season's quarterfinals, alongside visits to Häcken and Inter Milan.

Tournament Format and Qualification Rules

The league phase competition begins on September 22-23 and concludes on December 16. Under the current tournament structure, the top four teams in the standings will earn direct qualification to the quarterfinals. Clubs finishing in positions fifth through 12th must compete in a two-legged play-off to determine the winners of the remaining four quarterfinal spots. The teams occupying the bottom four positions at the end of the league phase will be eliminated from the competition.

Broadcast and Schedule Details

UEFA is scheduled to confirm the full match calendar, including specific kickoff times and dates, on Saturday, Sept. 5. Fans in Europe can access live coverage of every game in the women's competition via Disney+. The draw places Arsenal in a difficult position as they return to face Paris FC, the club responsible for knocking them out during the 2023-24 Champions League qualifying rounds. While Arsenal has historically utilized the Emirates as a fortress, their high-profile clash against Barcelona will take place away from home. All three English representatives—Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City—will navigate six fixtures each to determine their standing in the knockout progression.