Barcelona secured a favourable draw for the UEFA Women's Champions League league phase, while Real Madrid landed one of the tournament's toughest groups. The Spanish rivals learned their paths to the 29 May final in Warsaw will differ dramatically, with the Catalan giants positioned as contenders and Madrid facing an uphill battle.
Barcelona's group contains Arsenal, Paris FC and Servette at home, with away fixtures against Bayern Munich, Roma and Denmark's Koge. The draw granted them respite from the competition's heavyweight contenders in the third pot—Manchester City and Inter Milan both avoided them. Arsenal represent their sternest home test, the English side having eliminated Barcelona in the 2015 final. A trip to Bayern Munich, the team that knocked them out at semi-final stage last season, looms as the fixture posing greatest risk. The Catalan side will target a top-four finish in the league phase to secure direct passage to the quarter-finals.
Real Madrid's Formidable Challenge
Real Madrid drew the short straw, landing fixtures against Paris Saint-Germain, Paris FC and Inter Milan at home, with Continental trips to Bayern Munich, Roma and Manchester City. This represents a significantly steeper challenge than Barcelona's path, pitting the Spanish side against multiple title contenders and world-class attacking talent.
Barcelona approach the competition as defending champions and league phase leaders. They topped last season with 16 points from 18 matches before winning the final 4-0 against Lyon in Oslo. The league phase begins 22-23 September, running through 16 December. The knockout draw follows on 18 December, with play-offs scheduled for early February, quarter-finals in March and April, semi-finals in May, and the Warsaw final concluding the campaign.
