Chelsea to take on Serie A holders Juventus in Women’s Champions League
Arsenal have been drawn against European champions Barcelona in the group stage
Reigning Women’s Super League champions Chelsea were handed a tough draw for the group stages of the new-look Champions League.
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 Glasgow City to reach this stage.
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.
Arsenal came through two qualifying rounds to reach the group stage having finished third in the WSL last season.
The Gunners will face holders Barcelona in Group C, where they were also paired with Hoffenheim and HB Koge.
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.