Associated Press
Oct 20, 2023, 03:19 PM
The 2021 finalists Chelsea will face Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League group stage.
Swedish club BK Hacken and French outfit Paris FC are the other two teams drawn in the same group as Emma Hayes' side.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
Paris advanced through two qualifying rounds to reach the group stage. The unheralded French team beat Wolfsburg, who lost to Barcelona in last year's final, and Arsenal, who reached the semifinals last season.
Defending champions Barcelona will face Benfica, Rosengard and Eintracht Frankfurt in the group stage of the Women's Champions League.
Barcelona beat both Benfica and Rosengard at the same stage last year.
Paris Saint-Germain were grouped with Bayern Munich, Roma and Ajax, and eight-time champions Lyon will play Slavia Prague, Brann and St. Polten.
Lyon forward Ada Hegerberg, the first ever women's Ballon d'Or winner in 2018, could face her sister Andrine, who plays for Brann.
The group stage is scheduled to start on Nov. 14 and finish on Jan. 31. Two teams advance from each group to the quarterfinals.
The final is scheduled for May 25 in Bilbao, Spain.
Women's Champions League group-stage draw
Group A: Barcelona, FC Rosengard, Benfica, Eintracht Frankfurt
Group B: Lyon, Slavia Prague, St Polten, SK Brann
Group C: Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain, Roma, Ajax
Group D: Chelsea, Real Madrid, BK Hacken, Paris FC