Women’s Champions League 2025-26: Arsenal vs OL Lyonnes, Chelsea vs Barcelona

The 2025-26 Women’s Champions League is shaping up to be a wild ride. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United now know their opponents in the brand new league phase format.

This updated setup, borrowed from the men’s competition starting in 2024-25, ditches the old group stage. Instead, all 18 clubs land in a single league table.

Each team gets six matches, and how they perform decides their seeding for the knockouts. The competition gets underway on October 7.

The final—mark your calendars—is set for Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway, next May. That’s a venue with some real history.

The New League Phase Format

This league phase format is a pretty big departure from the old group system. Gone are the days of multiple groups with teams playing home and away.

Now, each of the 18 clubs draws six fixtures: two against Pot 1 teams, two from Pot 2, and two from Pot 3. The top four in the standings head straight to the quarter-finals.

Teams finishing fifth to twelfth have to fight it out in a play-off round in February for the last four knockout spots. Quarter-finals kick off on March 24.

Arsenal’s Title Defense

Arsenal comes in as defending champs, still riding high after grabbing their second Champions League title last season. Stina Blackstenius delivered the winner in a tense 1-0 final against Barcelona in Lisbon.

This time, Arsenal faces heavyweights like OL Lyonnes (who’ve won it eight times), Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid. The Gunners have a tough path, but they’ve handled these teams before—so why not again?

Arsenal’s League Phase Fixtures:

• OL Lyonnes (H) — Tuesday, October 7, 2025 — 5:45pm (BST)
• Benfica (A) — Thursday, October 16, 2025 — 8pm (BST)
• Bayern Munich (A) — Wednesday, November 12, 2025 — 5:45pm (GMT)
• Real Madrid (H) — Wednesday, November 19, 2025 — 8pm (GMT)
• FC Twente (H) — Tuesday, December 9, 2025 — 8pm (GMT)
• OH Leuven (A) — Wednesday, December 17, 2025 — 8pm (GMT)

Chelsea’s Quest for Glory

Chelsea keeps dominating at home, but that big European trophy still eludes them. This season, they’ve drawn Barcelona, Wolfsburg, and a few other tough nuts.

There’s no easy route, but the Blues are desperate to shake off past heartbreak and finally go deep in the tournament.

Chelsea’s League Phase Fixtures:

• FC Twente (A) — Wednesday, October 8, 2025 — 5:45pm (BST)
• Paris FC (H) — Wednesday, October 15, 2025 — 8pm (BST)
• St Polten (A) — Tuesday, November 11, 2025 — 8pm (GMT)
• Barcelona (H) — Thursday, November 20, 2025 — 8pm (GMT)
• Roma (H) — Wednesday, December 10, 2025 — 8pm (GMT)
• Wolfsburg (A) — Wednesday, December 17, 2025 — 8pm (GMT)

Manchester United’s Debut

Manchester United finally makes its Women’s Champions League debut. They punched their ticket with a 3-1 aggregate win over Brann in the qualifiers.

And what a debut: they’re up against OL Lyonnes and Wolfsburg, two of the tournament’s most decorated sides. At least the Red Devils get to host both at Old Trafford, which might just be a game-changer.

Manchester United’s League Phase Fixtures:

• Valerenga (H) — Wednesday, October 8, 2025 — 8pm (BST)
• Atletico Madrid (A) — Thursday, October 16, 2025 — 5:45pm (BST)
• PSG (H) — Wednesday, November 12, 2025 — 8pm (GMT)
• Wolfsburg (A) — Wednesday, November 19 — 5:45pm (GMT)
• OL Lyonnes (H) — Wednesday, December 10 — 8pm (GMT)
• Juventus (A) — Wednesday, December 17 — 8pm (GMT)

Broadcasting and Viewership

This year, there’s a shake-up in how fans will watch the matches. Disney+ swooped in and grabbed the Women’s Champions League broadcast rights for five years, taking over from DAZN.

Honestly, this could be huge for the tournament. More eyeballs, more hype—it’s about time women’s football got this kind of stage across Europe.

Exciting Matches to Watch

Some fixtures already look like can’t-miss events. Arsenal welcoming OL Lyonnes on October 7 should be electric, given their shared history.