Women’s Champions League draw LIVE: WSL sides to learn group opponents

Women’s and girls’ football sees record growth in historic four year period for the game

The success of the Lionesses has coincided with record growth in women’s and girls’ football, according to a new report from the Football Association.

The governing body said the number of women and girls playing football has increased by 56 per cent since the ‘inspiring positive change’ programme was launched in 2020 – since when England have become European champions in 2022 before reaching the World Cup final a year later.

Seventy-seven per cent of schools now offer girls equal access to football, up by 14 per cent, which breaks down as 88 per cent of primary schools and 50 per cent of secondary schools.

Seventy-three ‘emerging talent centres’ have been established to nurture young players in high-quality environments – with the talent base having grown by 265 per cent.

That has contributed to significant increases in the number of players from under-represented groups, up 127 per cent, and economically deprived areas, up 112 per cent.

Here’s a full list of match dates to mark – as well as when the draw will be made for the knock-out phase in the new year.

• Matchday 1: 8/9 October
• Matchday 2: 16/17 October
• Matchday 3: 12/13 November
• Matchday 4: 20/21 November
• Matchday 5: 11/12 December
• Matchday 6: 17/18 December

Quarter-final & semi-final draw: 7 February, Nyon

Quarter-finals:First leg: 18/19 March; Second leg: 26/27 March

Semi-finals:First leg: 19/20 April; Second leg: 26/27 April

Final: 23, 24 or 25 May tbc (Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon)

In terms of the draw…well, if you’ve seen any men’s Champions League draws over the past few decades, or the women’s draw over the last few years, you’ll know what’s coming.

One team from each pot goes into each group, so four-team collectives who will face each other during the group stage.

Teams from the same nation can’t face each other at this stage and that straight away means Chelsea will face either Wolfsburg or Real Madrid, for example, as their Pot 2 opponents.

So – let’s go over the main points of today’s draw first. Starting with: Which teams are in each pot? Here’s a full rundown…

• Barcelona
• Lyon
• Bayern Munich
• Chelsea

• Wolfsburg
• Arsenal
• Real Madrid
• Manchester City

• Juventus
• St. Pölten
• Roma
• Twente

• Valerenga
• Celtic
• Hammarby
• Galatasaray

The draw ceremony itself starts at noon, with three WSL sides set to be involved – and Celtic too from north of the border, after they beat Vorskla Poltova in their qualifier to become the first Scottish side to reach the group stage.

Man City had an easy time of things across two legs to hammer Paris 8-0 on aggregate, but Arsenal had a one-goal deficit to overcome from the first leg.

They did so in style, a 4-0 victory over Hacken ensuring they’re in the groups – while Chelsea are of course there too after winning last season’s Women’s Super League.

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live build up and coverage of the Women’s Champions League draw in Nyon.

The women’s competition is markedly smaller than the men’s version with just 16 teams reaching the group stages, although there are extensive knockout stages before that.

Only one Women’s Super League club, Chelsea, qualified automatically for the group stages, with second and third, Manchester City and Arsenal sent into the pre-group stage knockout rounds.