WSL Trio Learn Their Six-Club Champions League Opponent Lists | OneFootball

The 2026-27 UEFA Women’s Champions League league-phase draw has been completed in Nyon, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City each learning six opponents. Arsenal have been paired with OL Lyonnes and Barcelona, while City’s list includes Bayern and Real Madrid.

What the draw means for the three WSL clubs

The three English clubs now have their league-phase opponent lists following Friday’s draw. The draw featured 18 clubs in six pots, with each team drawn against two opponents from each pot, playing one at home and one away per pot.

For Arsenal, the meetings with Lyon and Barcelona immediately stand out. The Arsenal-Lyon fixture is a repeat of last season’s semi-final pairing, when Lyon ended Arsenal’s title defence. Barcelona, Lyon, Chelsea, Bayern, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain were all placed in Pot 1, underlining the range of opponents facing the English sides. League-phase matches will be played between September 22 and December 16.

Arsenal’s league-phase opponents

UEFA’s draw results show that Arsenal will face OL Lyonnes, Barcelona, Benfica, Paris FC, HB Køge and Inter in the league phase. The Gunners will host Lyon, Benfica and HB Køge, while travelling to Barcelona, Paris FC and Inter Milan.

Arsenal were in Pot 1 for the draw and have opponents from every pot. The list includes two fellow Pot 1 clubs, Lyon and Barcelona, alongside Benfica and Paris FC from Pot 2 and HB Køge and Inter from Pot 3. The opponents offer Arsenal a varied set of league-phase tests.

Chelsea’s league-phase opponents

Chelsea were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain, OL Lyonnes, Roma, Häcken, Austria Wien and OH Leuven. The Blues will host Paris Saint-Germain, Roma and Austria Wien, with away trips to Lyon, Häcken and OH Leuven.

Like Arsenal, Chelsea were placed in Pot 1. Their draw includes Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon from the top pot, Roma and Häcken from Pot 2, and Austria Wien and OH Leuven from Pot 3. Chelsea’s schedule will therefore bring together opponents from across the draw’s three pots.

Manchester City’s league-phase opponents

Manchester City will play Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern, Real Madrid, Häcken, Austria Wien and Inter, according to the UEFA draw results.

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City were placed in Pot 3, with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern drawn from Pot 1. Real Madrid and Häcken make up their Pot 2 opponents, while Austria Wien and Inter complete the list from Pot 3. City have opponents from all three pots as they return to European football for the first time since 2024/25. This is City’s ninth season competing in the Champions League in their professional history, having most recently reached the quarter-finals in 2024/25. Their best-ever run in the competition came with back-to-back semi-final appearances in 2017 and 2018, on both occasions eliminated by eventual winners OL Lyonnes.

The league phase will give all three WSL clubs six distinct opponents, three at home and three away, running from late September through mid-December. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City can now assess the confirmed pairings while awaiting the detailed matchday-by-matchday schedule.