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Arsenal and Ireland star Katie McCabe alongside her team-mates. John Walton/PA Wire/PA Image
New Look

Arsenal to face holders Barcelona as Women's Champions League group stage draw is made

Last season’s runners-up Chelsea take on Wolfsburg, Juventus and Servette, meanwhile.

THE DRAW FOR the group stages of the Women’s Champions League has been made. 

Defending champions Barcelona have been drawn in Group C with Arsenal, German side Hoffenheim and Danish outfit HB Koge. 

Ireland captain Katie McCabe and her Gunners team-mates came through two qualifying rounds to reach the group stage having finished third in the Women’s Super League (WSL) last season.

Reigning WSL champions Chelsea were handed a tough draw in the new look competition. 

Chelsea lost last season’s final to Barcelona in Gothenburg but Emma Hayes’ side were seeded in pot one for Monday’s draw having won the WSL.

In the competition’s first-ever group stage, the Blues were drawn in Group A alongside Juventus, who have won the last four Serie A titles and are managed by former Arsenal head coach Joe Montemurro.

They will also come up against DFB Pokal holders Wolfsburg, having beaten the German side in the quarter-finals last season, and Swiss champions Servette, who overcame a  Glasgow City side featuring Irish trio Claire Walsh, Clare Shine and Niamh Farrelly to reach this stage.

chelsea-v-barcelona-uefa-womens-champions-league-final-gamla-ullevi Barcelona's Vicky Losada lifts the Champions League trophy back in May. PA PA

Despite the competition, Chelsea will still be favourites to progress as group winners, with the top two from each of the four groups qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Real Madrid, who eliminated Manchester City in the qualifiers, are in Group B along with Paris Saint-Germain, Breidablik and Kharkiv.

As well as a reformatted tournament, the Women’s Champions League has a new television deal in place from the group stage onwards, with the matches streaming free on DAZN’s YouTube channel.

Women’s Champions League group stage

Group A: Chelsea, Wolfsburg, Juventus, Servette

Group B: Paris St-Germain, Breidablik, Real Madrid, Kharkiv

Group C: Barcelona, Arsenal, Hoffenheim, HB Koge

Group D: Bayern Munich, Lyon, Hacken, Benfica

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