Barcelona Femení begin their quest for European glory for the fourth time. The upcoming matches against teams from England, Austria, and Sweden in the Champions League group stages promise to be thrilling.
To begin with, we delve into the UEFA Women’s Champions League Calendar for the defending champions – specifically the 2024/2025 Group Stages:
– October 9th: Manchester City Women vs. Barcelona Femení at the Joie Stadium
– October 12th: Barcelona Femení vs. SKN St. Pölten at the Johan.
– October 16th: Barcelona Femení vs. Hammarby IF DFF at the Johan.
– October 21st: SKN St. Pölten vs. Barcelona Femení at the NV Arena.
– November 4th: Barcelona Femení vs. Manchester City Women at the Montjuïc.
– November 8th: Hammarby IF DFF vs. Barcelona Femení at the Tele2 Arena.
UEFA has officially announced the fixtures, opponents, and dates for the upcoming prestigious competition. Everyone is looking forward to the start of the tournament! Here’s a comprehensive guide detailing each team’s strengths, key players, and previous performances to provide insight into this year’s group-stage opponents.
A Revisit of Old Friends and Foes
The Cityzens will debut in the Group stage edition of the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) by hosting the defending champions at their stadium. They dominated Paris FC with an 8-0 aggregate victory over two legs in the Round 2 final qualifications. Their team possesses one of the most formidable attacking options in European women’s club football, showcasing a blend of youthful talent, seasoned expertise, and electrifying playmakers.
The last time the two sides met in the Champions League was also away at Manchester City where the Cityzens had the upper hand but could not overturn the tie as Blaugranagram’s Hans Mickey explained in his article. Barcelona Femení is all set to kick off this year’s UWCL challenge with an away match at the Joie Stadium on Wednesday, October 9th. The final group stage game will be a thrilling showdown between the two teams at the Montjuic on December 18th. Get ready to catch up with former La Masia defender Laia Aleixandri and long-serving defender Leila Ouhabi!
Manchester City XI vs Paris FC at home / Photo via Manchester City Women X
Key players to keep an eye on:
– Bunny Shaw: Their prolific striker who clinched the WSL Golden Boot last season.
– Lauren Hemp: A dynamic and skillful young winger.
– Yui Hasegawa: The influential midfield maestro from Japan.
– Alex Greenwood: The team’s captain and composed center back with decent ball-playing abilities.
A First Trip to Austria.
Barcelona Femení will make history by traveling to Austria for the first time to take on the Austrian Champions SKN St. Pölten. SKN St. Pölten has achieved an impressive feat, securing their league title for the fourth consecutive time. This remarkable accomplishment puts them on par with Barcelona Femení. They earned their spot in the UWCL by triumphing over Azeri Neftçi and Albanian Vllaznia with scores of 5-0 and 1-0 respectively in the first qualifying round. They then sealed their place with an impressive 8-0 overall victory in the crucial double encounter with Slovenian ŽNK Mura in the second qualifying round.
This is their second time in the group stages, having earned only one point through a 0-0 draw at home against Slavia Prague in the previous season. They will seek to enhance their performance in the group stages and embrace the challenge of competing against the leading team in Europe, with great enthusiasm as Mundo Deportivo clearly expressed. Barcelona Femení will host the Austrian Champions on October 12 at the Johan, followed by the return leg at the NV Arena (with 8,000 seats) on October 21.
SKN St. Pölten Players celebrating a goal / Photo via ADMIRAL Frauen Bundesliga X
Key players to keep an eye on:
– Carina Schlüter: a German goalkeeper with great reflexes.
– Valentina Mädl: a promising young Austrian striker.
– Kamila Dubcová: a Czech midfielder.
– Claudia Wenger: an Austrian defensive midfielder.
Another Return to Cold Sweden
Cold nights in Sweden in December have become synonymous with Barcelona Femení in the UWCL. Barcelona has encountered Swedish teams in the last two consecutive group stages of the UWCL. However, they are yet to face Hammarby IF DFF. Hammarby, the defending Swedish Damallsvenskan Champions, achieved a remarkable feat by winning their first double, the 2022–23 Svenska Cupen and the 2023 Damallsvenskan titles. They secured their spot in the Champions League group stages by turning around a 2-1 home loss to Benfica and delivering an impressive 2-0 victory against Benfica away.
Hammarby IF DFF Players setting up for a Group picture / Photo via Hammarby Fotboll X
They are currently in third place in the league, showcasing a thrilling mix of Swedish talents and international players. Barcelona Femení will host the Swedish club in the second matchday of the UWCL on October 16th, with the return match taking place at the Tele2 Arena on December 12th. Keep an eye out for the enthusiastic singing and cheering from Hammarby fans. Their passionate support for their team has been turning heads in Europe.
Key players to keep an eye on:
– Cathinka Tandberg: A young Swedish striker, currently their top scorer.
– Smilla Vallotto: A Swiss midfielder who is a key playmaker.
– Jonna Andersson: A veteran Swedish left-back and former Chelsea defender.
– Julie Blackstad: A versatile Norwegian midfielder.
Needless to say, Barcelona Femení are in for quite a whirlwind this season — albeit a positive one.
