British Teams Set For Women’s Champions League Group Stage Battles.
The Women’s Champions League group stage kicks off on 8 October, and with three English teams—Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal—making the cut, excitement is building. This marks the first time that three English sides have qualified for the group stages, while Scottish champions Celtic make their debut in the tournament.
Chelsea, under new manager Sonia Bompastor, hope to take the extra step and claim the title that eluded Emma Hayes. Meanwhile, Manchester City return to the group stages after narrowly missing out in the 2020-21 season and are looking to make a strong impact. Arsenal, with the addition of Barcelona’s experienced Mariona Caldentey, are also aiming to progress deep into the competition. Celtic, under coach Elena Sadiku, face tough competition from Chelsea and Real Madrid in their group, but their qualification signals their rising prominence in women’s football.
Reigning champions Barcelona, featuring key players from Spain’s World Cup-winning squad, remain favourites for the trophy, while Lyon and Bayern Munich are also seen as strong contenders. The group stage will run until 18 December, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals in March.
As the competition unfolds, fans of British clubs will be watching keenly to see if one of their teams can bring home the prestigious European title for the first time since 2007 when Arsenal Women Lifted the Trophy.