The Women’s Champions League is set for an exciting third round of matches this week, with a spotlight on the clash between the seasoned eight-time champion Lyon and the rising Italian team Roma, both boasting flawless records thus far.
In Group A, these two teams are currently leading, each securing six points after winning their opening matches, while five other clubs, including Manchester City, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich, have also achieved two victories. Meanwhile, teams like Celtic, Galatasaray, and Vålerenga are eager to make their mark by earning their first points in the group stage. Austria’s St. Pölten faces the formidable challenge of defending champion Barcelona away in Spain.
Manchester City, currently leading Group D, will play against Hammarby on Tuesday, but they will be missing key player Vivianne Miedema, who is recovering from surgery on her troublesome left knee. City tops both their group and the English league after an impressive 2-0 win over Barcelona in their initial match. On the other hand, Hammarby is looking to bounce back after suffering a crushing 9-0 defeat against Barcelona in their last outing, relying on former Man City midfielder Julie Blakstad for support.
Barcelona aims to continue its dominance and make history as the first team to secure a group win for all four years since the current format was introduced.
Bayern Munich, spearheaded by top scorer Pernille Harder, will also be aiming for a third consecutive win against Vålerenga on Tuesday in Group C. While Bayern is a strong favorite, Vålerenga is riding high after recently securing their domestic title with a couple of matches to spare.
Arsenal faces Juventus in Turin, with both teams hoping to recover from previous defeats to Bayern but coming off strong performances against Vålerenga. Arsenal’s interim coach Renée Slegers will hope to build on their momentum following a resounding 5-0 victory over Brighton in the English league, while Juventus continues to perform well in their domestic league under new coach Max Canzi.
As Roma prepares to take on Lyon in a critical Group A matchup, they aim to avoid repeating last year’s disappointing results when they initially led the group but ultimately finished at the bottom. Lyon, having lost in the finals to Barcelona last season, has yet to concede a goal in this tournament.
After suffering a significant 6-1 defeat to Roma in their last match, Galatasaray will need to regroup as they prepare to face the two-time champions Wolfsburg.
In another match, Chelsea will face Celtic on Wednesday, eager to continue their impressive scoring run under new coach Sonia Bompastor. Coming off a 3-0 away victory over Liverpool, Chelsea looks to maintain their momentum, having already netted a total of 23 goals in the league this season. With previous wins of 3-0 over both Real Madrid and Twente in Group B, they aim to keep the pressure on after Real Madrid secured their first points by defeating Celtic 4-0 in the previous match.