Women's Champions League Begins with Arsenal vs Lyon

Rome, Oct 6 (AP) The Women's Champions League kicks off its revamped edition with a highly anticipated clash between Chloe Kelly's Arsenal and eight-time champion Lyon on Tuesday.

This game serves as a rematch of last season’s semifinals, where Arsenal brilliantly overturned a first-leg deficit to eventually claim victory over Barcelona in the final. During the summer, Kelly boosted her accolades by leading England to capture their second consecutive Women's European Championship title.

In a recent performance, Kelly made a notable impact by coming off the bench to score a crucial equalizer in Arsenal’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester City — her previous team. After an initial loan period, she finalized a permanent move to Arsenal in July.

However, Arsenal, brimming with talent beyond Kelly, showcases star forwards like Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo, both of whom ranked higher than Kelly in the Ballon d'Or voting. Additionally, Leah Williamson secured a spot in the top 10 of the prestigious list.

Lyon has strategically bolstered its attacking prowess by acquiring 22-year-old Jule Brand from Wolfsburg and Marie-Antoinette Katoto from Paris Saint-Germain during the offseason. Brand played a pivotal role in Germany’s Euros campaign, netting two goals and recording two assists. Meanwhile, Katoto holds a remarkable record as PSG’s all-time leading scorer with 131 goals in 152 matches.

As for Barcelona, the club retains its core strength by keeping three-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, despite an offseason of player departures due to financial struggles with the men’s team. Barcelona, a finalist in the last five seasons with three titles, faces Bayern Munich at home. Talented young midfielder Clara Serrajordi, only 17, recently made headlines by becoming the second-youngest player to score in the Spanish women's league.

The tournament has adopted a new league-based format this season, a transition following the men’s footsteps from last year. The setup now includes 18 teams — an increase from the previous format — competing in a 54-game league phase concluding in December. The top four teams directly advance to the quarterfinals, while teams ranked fifth to twelfth enter a knockout playoff round. The bottom six teams will face elimination.

Half of the teams secured their spots through qualifying rounds, among them are Manchester United, Real Madrid, Roma, and Paris FC. This week’s fixtures also feature Juventus vs. Benfica, Paris FC vs. OH Leuven, Twente vs. Chelsea, Real Madrid vs. Roma, St. Polten vs. Atleti, Manchester United vs. Valerenga, and Wolfsburg vs. PSG.

The ultimate clash will unfold at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway, in May. In addition, the newly introduced Women’s Europa Cup is nearing the conclusion of its qualifying phase, with a 16-team draw set for next week.

The competition has secured a broadcasting agreement with pay-TV operator Disney+ running through the 2030 season, while certain games will be available through free-to-air national networks.

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