Lyon and Wolfsburg, who have already met four times in the final, find themselves in the same group of the Women’s Champions League after the draw on Friday in Nyon, with Manchester City finding themselves in the FC Barcelona group. The Lyonnaises, the most successful in Europe with eight C1, and the Louves, twice titled but three times beaten in the final by OL, are big favorites in a group completed by AS Rome and Galatasaray, the Turkish club which competes in the C1 for the first time in its history.
Lyon’s Australian coach Joe Montemurro said:enthusiasm“by this draw on the club’s networks.”Lyon is synonymous with success in the Champions League, the objective is obviously to continue“. The double title holder, Barça, and the Citizens, one of the rising powers among women, also seem above the Austrians of Sankt Pölten and the Swedes of Hammarby, the latter joining the phase of chickens.
The other posters pit Chelsea, five times consecutive English champion, semi-finalist of the C1 last year, against Real Madrid, in a group with the debutants of Celtic Glasgow and Twente, champion of the Netherlands. The fourth group brings together three big names in football, Bayern Munich, last year’s semi-finalist, Arsenal, winner of the trophy in 2007, and Juventus Turin, who eliminated Paris Saint-Germain (3-1/2- 1) in the second preliminary round. The Norwegian club Vaalerenga, for the first time at this level, completes the group. The group stage extends over six days from October 8 to December 18.
