Barcelona host Arsenal in Women's Champions League clash; Manchester City seek first win

Two of the biggest teams in the Women's Champions League meet on Thursday when defending champion Barcelona host Arsenal. The two clubs have won the past four editions of the tournament between them.

A familiar rivalry

Barcelona, a four-time champion, also won the title in 2021. The Spanish club won the competition in three of the past four seasons, but that run was interrupted by Arsenal, which beat Barcelona in the 2025 final.

Barcelona currently top the league phase and are the only side with a perfect record. Arsenal have had a mixed start to the season. They narrowly beat HB Køge 1-0, drew 2-2 with Paris FC and then beat Benfica 3-0. Barcelona thrashed HB Køge 8-0 in their most recent match.

Arsenal's domestic form is also improving. The club has won two of its past three Women's Super League matches, after winning only one of its opening six.

Arsenal's coach speaks

Arsenal coach Renée Slegers said there was motivation and ambition among staff and players to improve and turn the season around. She said she took full responsibility for the environment the club needs to create.

Slegers said the club had been specific about the actions needed to generate energy. She praised the players for being engaged and speaking up, and said there had been two or three sessions where the energy had been very good.

Lyon and Chelsea in the chase

Barcelona have maximum points, with Arsenal, last season's runner-up OL Lyonnes and Chelsea two points further back. OL Lyonnes are high scorers and also have one of the meanest defenses in the competition.

OL Lyonnes' only dropped points came in a goalless draw against Chelsea. Their other results include an 8-0 win over Servette and a 6-0 win over Inter Milan. They face another Italian side, Juventus, on Wednesday. Chelsea, who have also yet to concede a goal, visit Häcken the day before.

City still looking for a win

Manchester City have had a mixed return to the Champions League. They have drawn all three of their matches and will look for a first win when they visit Inter on Tuesday.

City reached the quarterfinals two seasons ago but did not make the league phase last year. This season is their first under coach Andrée Jeglertz, who helped the team end Chelsea's dominance of the Women's Super League and win its first league title in a decade. City top the domestic table again, having won eight of their nine matches.

Other fixtures

Bayern, one of last year's semifinalists, visit Paris Saint-Germain. Both teams are on five points, four behind Barcelona. Real Madrid host Paris FC.

The league phase, now in its second year, features 18 teams competing over six matchdays. The top four advance directly to the quarterfinals, while clubs finishing fifth to 12th compete in knockout-phase playoffs in February. The final will be played at Poland's national stadium in Warsaw in late May.