Lyon and Barcelona head open Women’s Champions League, English trio lurking, PSG out to atone | OneFootball

Wendie Renard’s Lyon and Ewa Pajor’s Barcelona headline an unusually open 2026-27 Women’s Champions League, with English challengers waiting and PSG seeking redemption.

According to L'Équipe, the new campaign starts on Tuesday and looks unusually open.

Groupama Stadium was confirmed last week as the 2028 final venue, a boost for Lyon as they chase a ninth crown. Champions from 2016 to 2020, they have not won since 2022 and lost the 2024 final 0-2 to Barcelona, then again in Oslo last spring, 0-4. In Jonatan Giraldez’s second season, they open at Servette on Wednesday at 21:00, live on Disney+.

Barcelona are rebuilding after the departure of double Ballon d’Or Alexia Putellas to London City Lionesses, but they do not intend to give up their crown easily. They have won four of the last six editions.

Arsenal, 2025 champions after a 1-0 win over Barcelona, Chelsea under Sonia Bompastor and Manchester City all look capable of challenging. Bayern Munich are outsiders and the Bundesliga’s only representatives after Frankfurt fell to PSG and Wolfsburg were overturned by Inter in qualifying.

Like France and England, Italy have three entrants, Roma, Juventus and debutants Inter. An Italian champion would be a major surprise, and it is hard to picture PSG going all the way despite a daunting league-phase draw. After finishing 17th and second-bottom last season, and having reached the final in 2015 and 2017, PSG could still spring a surprise.

Source: L'Équipe

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