City Women chase first CL win

MILAN (AP):

Two of the biggest teams in women’s football will meet in the Women’s Champions League on Thursday as defending champions Barcelona host Arsenal, with the clubs having won four of the last five editions of the competition.

Arsenal face a daunting task against the four-time champions. However, they have overcome Barcelona before.

Barcelona, who also lifted the title in 2021, have won three of the last four Champions League crowns, with their run interrupted only by Arsenal, who defeated the Spanish giants in the 2025 final.

Barcelona currently lead the league-phase standings and are the only team with a perfect record.

Arsenal, who have made a mixed start to the season, edged HB Køge 1-0 before drawing 2-2 with Paris FC and beating Benfica 3-0.

That victory was one of the signs that things may be turning around for Arsenal, who have won two of their last three Women’s Super League matches after managing just one win from their opening six.

“There’s motivation and ambition to do better and turn this around among the staff and players, but I take full responsibility for the environment that we need to create,” Arsenal coach Renée Slegers said.

“I can only say we’ve been very specific with the type of actions we need to generate energy for us, but the players have been really engaged, speaking up a lot, and we’ve had two or three sessions where the energy has been really good.”

Lyonnes and Chelsea seek advantage

Barcelona sit on maximum points in the Champions League, with Arsenal, last season’s runners-up OL Lyonnes and Chelsea two points behind.

Free-scoring Lyonnes also boast one of the competition’s stingiest defences. The only points they have dropped came in a goalless draw with Chelsea, either side of an 8-0 rout of Servette and a 6-0 victory over Inter Milan.

They face another Italian opponent in Juventus on Wednesday, while Chelsea, who are yet to concede a goal, travel to Häcken the previous day.

City still searching for breakthrough

Manchester City have endured a mixed return to the Champions League, drawing all three of their matches, and will be eager to secure a first win when they visit Inter today.

City, who reached the quarter-finals two seasons ago, failed to reach the league phase last year but returned under coach Andrée Jeglertz, who guided the club to its first Women’s Super League title in a decade and ended Chelsea’s domestic dominance.

The English side again lead the league standings, having won eight of their nine matches this season.

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich, one of last season’s semi-finalists, travel to Paris Saint-Germain. Both teams are on five points, four adrift of Barcelona.

Real Madrid host Paris FC.