FA WSL sides Arsenal Ladies and Bristol Academy Women are to face FC Bobruchanka of Belarus and Russian side Energiya Voronezh respectively in the round of 32 of the UEFA Women’s Champions League to be held next month.
Glasgow City will first host Valur Reykjavík before making the return journey to Iceland, whilst Republic of Ireland’s Peamount United are to take on Paris Saint-Germain FC at home before the second leg in France.
The draw, which took place at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, actually saw the two English sides draw each other, but as no two sides from the same country are allowed to play each other at this stage, a re-draw was necessary.
This means Arsenal will now travel away to Belarus for the first leg and Bristol Academy Women will first host Energiya Voronezh before travelling to Russia.
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Should the English teams progress, Arsenal will face either Finland’s PK-35 Vantaa or Spanish side Rayo Vallecano de Madrid whilst either Holland’s FC Twente or FC Rossiyanka, the current Russian champions, lay in wait for Bristol Academy Women.
Peamount United would then meet Norway’s Stabæk or Germany’s FFC Frankfurt and if Glasgow City see off their Icelandic competitors, they will meet either Thór/KA or last season’s runners-up FFC Turbine Potsdam.
Commenting on his sides’ opponents, City Head Coach Eddie Black said: “There is no doubt that we have been given a tough draw, this is a team that have, for the past four seasons, been involved at this stage of the competition. Therefore, whilst it is new to us, it is a natural situation for them.
“However, we will look to do ourselves justice and hope the public will come out in support of us in our attempt to progress to the next round.”
Matches in the round of 32 will be played on 28/29 September and 5/6 October, with the seeded side away in the first leg. The round of 16, for which there was an open draw, takes place on 2/3 and 9/10 November. The quarter-finals and semi-finals are played over two legs in the spring leading to the final in Munich on 17 May.
Full draw:
Round of 32 draw
CFF Olimpia Cluj (ROU) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA, holders)
Peamount United (IRL) v Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA)
CSHVSM (KAZ) v SV Neulengbach (AUT)
Apollon Limassol LFC (CYP) v AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
PK-35 Vantaa (FIN) v Rayo Vallecano de Madrid (ESP)
UPC Tavagnacco (ITA) v WFC Malmö (SWE)
WFC Osijek (CRO) v Göteborg FC (SWE)
Glasgow City FC (SCO) v Valur Reykjavík (ISL)
BSC Young Boys (SUI) v Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)
Thór/KA (ISL) v 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam (GER)
ASA Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) v ASD Torres CF (ITA)
FC Twente (NED) v FC Rossiyanka (RUS)
Bristol Academy WFC (ENG) v FC Energiya Voronezh (RUS)
FC Bobruchanka (BLR) v Arsenal LFC (ENG)
Standard Fémina de Liège (BEL) v Brøndby IF (DEN)
Stabæk Football (NOR) v 1. FFC Frankfurt (GER)
Round of 16 draw
Stabæk/Frankfurt v Peamount/PSG
Olimpia Cluj/Lyon v Apollon/Sparta
CSHVSM/Neulengbach v Tavagnacco/Malmö
Young Boys/Fortuna v Osijek/Göteborg
Bristol/Energiya v Twente/Rossiyanka
Vantaa/Rayo v Bobruchanka/Arsenal
Thór/Potsdam v Glasgow/Valur
Standard/Brøndby v Tel-Aviv/Torres
Jessica Whittington, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
Image credit: istockphoto.com
