FC Bayern Women learn league phase opponents | OneFootball

FC Bayern Women now know who they will face and where they will visit in the league phase of the new-format UEFA Women’s Champions League. The draw was held on Friday and paired the Bundesliga champions with Arsenal, Juventus and Valerenga at home, and Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid in away games.

Barcala: “Can look forward to top matches”

José Barcala: “We’ve got a very exciting set of opponents and can look forward to some absolute top matches. Our opponents will push us all the way, which is what it’s about in this competition, testing yourself against the best teams in Europe. We’ve now got the chance in our coming Champions League fixtures to show that we belong among those top teams and are competitive at this level. For me personally it’s nice we’ve got two games in Spain. I’m looking forward to the league phase.”

Bühl: “All have their charm”

Klara Bühl: “We’ve got some really attractive games. We’re especially looking forward to the really exciting home games, above all against holders Arsenal. We knew beforehand that we’d get at least two high-calibre opponents, but now we’ve also got two top teams from Pot 2 in Juventus and PSG on top of that. I’m especially excited about Atlético away – a team I’ve never played against before. And Barcelona against Bayern is obviously always a highlight that everyone watches. All the opponents have their charm, are all very different and interesting in how they play. I’m really happy with our set of opponents, but we also know what’s coming.”

Bayern’s opponents

Barcelona (A)

Bayern set a previous attendance record at the Allianz Arena with a crowd of 24,000 when they beat Barcelona 3-1.

Bayern’s trip to Spain pits them against last year’s Champions League runners-up. The most recent encounter with Aitana Bonmati, Alexia Putellas & Co. saw Bühl, Lina Magull and Lea Schüller score in a 3-1 win in front of a crowd of 24,000 on a memorable night at the Allianz Arena. The Catalans have long been one of the biggest names in women’s football, last winning the Champions League in 2024.

Arsenal (H)

Bayern claimed a famous 5-2 win at home to Arsenal last season.

Bayern have also been paired with last season’s winning finalists in Arsenal. The sides met in last year’s group stage, with the Munich Frauen kicking off by beating the eventual champions 5-2. A 3-2 defeat in London meant Bayern finished second in the section. Arsenal finished second in the Women’s Super League behind Chelsea and qualified automatically as holders.

Juventus (H)

Bayern will once again face Juventus after two group encounters last season.

Bayern also faced Juventus in last season’s group stage, winning 2-0 in Turin before a 4-0 victory back in Munich. It’ll be a special fixture for Arianna Caruso, who switched from Juventus to Bayern in January.

Paris Saint-Germain (A)

Bayern have a score to settle with PSG after their 2021/22 quarter-final elimination.

Bayern have also faced Paris Saint-Germain a number of times in the Champions League, including in the 2021/22 quarter-finals, when a Covid-hit FCB could only manage a 2-2 draw as they tried to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit. The reigning champions of Germany and France also met in the 2023/24 group stage. Bayern won 1-0 in Paris, but a 2-2 draw in Munich with an 88th-minute own goal and one ruled out for offside in added time meant elimination at the group stage.

Valerenga (H)

In a bit of an emerging pattern, Bayern also faced the Norwegian champions in 2024/25.

Completing a full house of group opponents from last season, Bayern will once again face Valerenga as well. FCB won 3-0 at home but were held to a 1-1 draw in Norway for the hosts’ only point in the competition. It will be a special encounter for Stine Ballisager, who is the club’s record appearance holder with 139 games after five years on the books. The champions of Norway are currently second in their league after 19 games played.

Atlético Madrid (A)

Bayern’s trip to Madrid will be their first competitive encounter with Atlético.

In contrast to the other five teams, Atlético Madrid are new territory for Bayern. The Spaniards are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2020/21. The only previous meeting was a friendly in summer 2022, which Bayern lost 2-0. The Madrid club reached the final of the Copa de la Reina last season, being narrowly beaten by Barcelona. After finishing third last term, they have won their opening three league games of 2025/26.

Learn more about the new-format competition:

How does the 2025/26 Women’s Champions League work?