It's time to get down to business in the UEFA Women's Champions League! After the group stage, where FC Bayern Women finished second in their group, the quarter-finals and hence the knockout phase is just around the corner. On Friday, 7 February, at 13:00 CET, the draw to decide who the Munich women will face in the two quarter-final matches will take place. One thing is certain: it will be against one of the group winners from the other three groups - Lyon, Chelsea or Barcelona. fcbayern.com takes a look at FCB Women's three possible top-class opponents.
Lyon
In Lyon, head coach Alexander Straus' side could face the record winners of the UWCL. The French team have won the Women's Champions League eight times, most recently in the 2021-22 season. This season, Lyon, who have former Reds Sara Däbritz and Laura Benkarth under contract, won all six of their group stage matches, beating VfL Wolfsburg, Roma and Galatasaray in the process. The last time FCB Women met Lyon was in the 2021 group stage. While they were beaten 2-1 in Lyon, they won the return match 1-0 at the FC Bayern Campus.
Chelsea
With six wins from six games, Chelsea Women finished Group B with a perfect record. For FC Bayern Women, the Londoners are likely to bring back memories of previous Champions League encounters: In the 2021 semi-finals, the Munich side won the first leg 2-1, but were knocked out after being beaten 4-1 in the English capital. In 2017, after the "drama at the Grünwalder", they were only eliminated in the last 32 due to the away goals rule still in force at the time. The chance for revenge could therefore come in the quarter-finals this season. However, Chelsea made some sensational signings in the winter break: one of England's best internationals, defensive midfielder Keira Walsh, joined the Blues from Barcelona. But that's not all: American centre-back Naomi Girma joined from San Diego Wave FC for a record fee in the millions, making her currently the most expensive female footballer in the world.
Barcelona
Barcelona Women finished the group stage of the UWCL level on points with Manchester City, but with a goal difference that was 18 (!) goals better. The Catalans suffered just one defeat, losing 2-0 to the Citizens on the first matchday of the current Women's Champions League campaign. After that, the team led by 2024 Best FIFA Women's Player Aitana Bonmati, Alexia Putellas and former Munich player Fridolina Rolfö won all their games and conceded just one solitary goal. FCB fans will certainly have fond memories of the last meeting with Barcelona: In front of 24,000 spectators at the Allianz Arena, the Reds defeated the Spaniards 3-1 in the matchday's standout fixture, with Klara Bühl, Lina Magull and Lea Schüller all getting on the scoresheet to make it an unforgettable evening. The Catalans have arguably been the best team in the UWCL in recent years. Three trophies in the last four seasons speak for themselves, and Barcelona have lost just five games in Europe's premier women's club competition since 2020 - including the one against FC Bayern.
Draw on Friday afternoon
This Friday, 7 February, FCB Women will discover who they'll face in the last eight, when the draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the UWCL takes place in Nyon. The possible semi-final opponents will also be determined at the same time. You can watch the draw in a live stream on uefa.com from 13:00 CET.
Servus, Arianna! FC Bayern Women have signed Italian midfielder Arianna Caruso:
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