Sofia Quijada
Women’s Champions League returns with a new league phase and blockbuster fixtures
The Women’s Champions League reboots this autumn with a format change and three tough groups for England’s representatives. Arsenal arrive as holders, Chelsea come in as Women’s Super League champions, and Manchester United make their first appearance in the main draw after qualifying.
What’s different this season
The competition has adopted a league phase similar to the men’s format but with fewer teams. Eighteen clubs will play six matches each in the opening phase rather than the old group-stage setup.
- 18 teams, six matches per side in the league phase
- Teams finishing 1st–4th qualify automatically for the quarter-finals
- Positions 5–12 contest two-legged play-offs for the remaining quarter-final places
- Teams ranked 13th–18th are eliminated after the league phase
English sides and their schedules (October–December 2024)
Arsenal — defending champions
Arsenal stunned Barcelona last May to lift the trophy and open their defence with a testing schedule. They face Lyon at the Emirates in the first match and also meet Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the league phase. The Gunners have endured a difficult start to the domestic campaign and go into their Champions League opener on Tuesday 7 October 2024 on a three-game winless run.
- Tuesday 7 October 2024 — Lyon (h)
- Thursday 16 October 2024 — Benfica (a)
- Wednesday 12 November 2024 — Bayern Munich (a)
- Wednesday 19 November 2024 — Real Madrid (h)
- Tuesday 9 December 2024 — Twente (h)
- Wednesday 17 December 2024 — OH Leuven (a)
Chelsea — domestic champions hunting Europe
Chelsea dominated domestically last season but the Champions League has so far proved elusive. They were beaten 8-2 on aggregate by Barcelona in last season’s semi-final and will meet the Catalans again in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the league phase. Manager Sonia Bompastor has bolstered the squad with Ellie Carpenter and Alyssa Thompson, and Sam Kerr has returned from a long-term ACL lay-off. This remains the prize the Blues covet most.
- Wednesday 8 October 2024 — Twente (a)
- Wednesday 15 October 2024 — Paris FC (h)
- Tuesday 11 November 2024 — St. Pölten (a)
- Thursday 20 November 2024 — Barcelona (h)
- Wednesday 10 December 2024 — Roma (h)
- Wednesday 17 December 2024 — Wolfsburg (a)
Manchester United — making their main-draw debut
United advanced through two qualifying rounds to reach the league phase for the first time. Unbeaten in the WSL early in the season, they will host Paris St-Germain at Old Trafford and face former winners Lyon and Wolfsburg as well. Manager Marc Skinner has already spoken about adding reinforcements in January; squad depth will be tested by the demands of domestic and European fixtures. Ella Toone and new signing Jess Park are key to United’s creative engine.
- Wednesday 8 October 2024 — Vålerenga (h)
- Thursday 16 October 2024 — Atlético Madrid (a)
- Wednesday 12 November 2024 — Paris St-Germain (h)
- Wednesday 19 November 2024 — Wolfsburg (a)
- Wednesday 10 December 2024 — Lyon (h)
- Wednesday 17 December 2024 — Juventus (a)
Big-name challengers and storylines
Barcelona remain the standard-bearer for European women’s football. The Catalans have reached the past five Champions League finals, winning three, and they possess Aitana Bonmatí among a deep, attacking squad. They opened their domestic campaign decisively, scoring freely and conceding hardly at all.
Lyon are the competition’s most successful club with eight titles and will be seeking to go deep again after finishing top of Division 1 Féminine. They were beaten by Arsenal in last season’s semi-final and will see that as unfinished business.
Bayern Munich have the quality to push on—Lena Oberdorf is back fit after an ACL injury and the team will rely on Georgia Stanway in midfield. Wolfsburg, twice winners themselves, are strong contenders and match Bayern’s pace in the Frauen-Bundesliga early on.
Newcomers OH Leuven from Belgium join Manchester United as debutants in the league phase and will face daunting fixtures against Arsenal, Barcelona and PSG.
Could the league phase produce shocks?
The first men’s season with a league phase produced surprises: defending champions Real Madrid finished 11th, Manchester City scraped into the knockouts and Paris St-Germain underwhelmed. Smaller clubs like Aston Villa and Lille outperformed expectations.
“When it comes to the Champions League and this new format of a league stage, I think it’s going to be tough playing these games home and away,” former England defender Steph Houghton told BBC Football Focus. “To cope with Champions League football and also the WSL you need big squads to be able to rotate and be fresh on gameday.”
Where to watch
BBC Sport has secured a five-year deal to show live Women’s Champions League matches. Up to seven live games each season will be available across BBC TV, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, including the final.
- The first live match on BBC will be Manchester United v Paris St-Germain at Old Trafford on Wednesday 12 November 2024.
- Chelsea v Barcelona will be shown on Thursday 20 November 2024.
- Coverage will also include both legs of one semi-final and four earlier-round games each season.
Highlights and clips will appear on BBC Sport’s digital platforms and social channels, while BBC Radio 5 Live will keep providing live commentary for the biggest fixtures.
What to watch for in the opening weeks
- Arsenal’s start against Lyon — a benchmark for whether the title defence has momentum
- Chelsea’s meeting with Barcelona — a test of how close the Blues are to matching Europe’s elite
- Manchester United’s home date with PSG — a chance to measure progress on the club’s European debut stage
- How smaller nations and debutants adapt to the schedule and travel demands
The new format reduces margin for error and rewards consistency. Expect elite squads to be stretched, a few surprises and plenty of high-stakes encounters before the winter break.