The Women’s Champions League kicks off on Tuesday, bringing a season filled with unpredictability as holders Barcelona face significant changes. The Spanish champions, who have won four titles in six years and reached six consecutive European finals, lost four key players this summer. Ona Batlle transferred to Arsenal, Salma Paralluelo moved to OL Lyonnes, while Alexia Putellas and Mapi León joined London City Lionesses, altering the team's composition that previously dominated opponents in Oslo.
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Despite these departures, Barcelona remains a formidable contender, sporting a strong roster that includes recent Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, although her participation in the opener against Paris FC is uncertain due to injury. They also retain Ewa Pajor, last season’s top scorer, and captain Patri Guijarro, keeping them as the team to beat, albeit without the former invincibility.
OL Lyonnes, aiming to reclaim the title they last won in 2022, had a productive transfer window, bolstering their squad with Paralluelo and Scottish midfielder Caroline Weir, both of whom bring valuable skills. The team seeks to achieve a milestone for owner Michele Kang and head coach Jonatan Giráldez, who previously led Barcelona to consecutive titles.
Other strong contenders include Bayern Munich and English clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City. Arsenal, the only English team to have won significant European honors, added depth this summer with new signings including Georgia Stanway and Batlle. Their robust roster is expected to challenge in Europe.
Manchester City, last season’s domestic champions, aim to improve after missing the Champions League last year. Historically, they have struggled to reach the later stages of the tournament, with no semi-finals since the 2017-18 season. However, they retained top scorer Khadija Shaw, whose performance will be closely watched as they begin their campaign against Bayern.
Chelsea, who suffered a quarter-final exit against Arsenal last season, aspire to return to the final after previously finishing as runners-up in 2021.
Real Madrid enhanced their attack by signing Felicia Schröder after her standout performance in last season’s Women’s Europa Cup. They will play their first game against Paris Saint-Germain.
The upcoming league phase marks the absence of iconic player Putellas for the first time in years, and the absence of Wolfsburg, former two-time champions, is notable as they failed to qualify after a penalty shootout loss to Inter. The league phase, featuring 18 teams, will continue until December 16. The top four teams will progress to the quarter-finals in March, with ranked teams from fifth to twelfth entering a playoff knockout phase in February.