Last day the Women’s Champions League groups were drawn which will also see two Italian teams such as Roma and Juventus at the start, both included in the third pot of the draw. For both there is a complicated group with the Giallorossi who will face one of the big European teams such as Lyon, champions of France – and winners of the competition eight times – as well as a Wolfsburg who easily got rid of Fiorentina in the preliminaries and finally the new entry Galatasaray. For the Bianconeri, however, there are the German champions Bayern Munich, the English champions Arsenal and the Norwegian champions Valerenga.
“This year will probably be a more competitive edition, we must have great respect and pay a lot of attention. We know that we will be competing against very strong teams, the objective is to maintain the international level acquired in recent seasons”, commented the Roma manager Betty Bavagnoli.
“Being able to say that we have already achieved a seasonal goal in September is very important for us. – explains the Juventus manager Stefano Braghin – Now we will play all the matches in the group trying to give our best, without pressure or particular expectations but playing without making calculations. Then, in December, we will see what we deserved from this competition.”
GROUP A
Lyon
Wolfsburg
Rome
Galatasaray
GROUP B
Chelsea
real Madrid
Twente
Celtic
GROUP C
Bayern Munich
Arsenal
Juventus
Valerenga
GROUP D
Barcelona
Manchester City
St. Polten
Hammarby
THE CALENDAR
Group stage
Day 1: 8/9 October
Day 2: 16/17 October
Day 3: 12/13 November
Day 4: 20/21 November
Day 5: 11/12 December
Day 6: 17/18 December
Quarter-finals
Outward journey: 18/19 March
Return: 26/27 March
Semifinals
Outward journey: 19/20 April
Return: 26/27 April
Final (Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon)
23, 24 or 25 May (to be agreed)