Meet the Women's Champions League contenders
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
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UEFA.com introduces the 32 contenders in the knockout phase, from holders Frankfurt to three debutant clubs with names familiar to football fans.
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The UEFA Women's Champions League round of 32 draw has been made as the big guns enter at the knockout stage. UEFA.com has a ready guide to the contenders, of who 24 enter at this stage and eight came through the qualifying round.
The draw
BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ) v FC Barcelona (ESP)
Medyk Konin (GRE) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Olimpia Cluj (ROU) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Slavia Praha (CZE) v Brøndby (DEN)
Standard Liège (BEL) v FFC Frankfurt (GER)
PAOK (GRE) v KIF Örebro (SWE)
FC Twente (NED) v Bayern München (GER)
Atlético Madrid (ESP) v Zorkiy (RUS)
St. Pölten-Spratzern (AUT) v Verona (ITA)
Stjarnan (ISL) v Zvezda-2005 (RUS)
LSK Kvinner (NOR) v FC Zürich (SUI)
Chelsea (ENG) v Glasgow City (SCO)
PK-35 Vantaa (FIN) v Rosengård (SWE)
ZFK Minsk (BLR) v Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)
Spartak Subotica (SRB) v Wolfsburg (GER)
Brescia (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Teams listed in ranking order
Seeded:
FFC Frankfurt (GER, holders)
• Won a record fourth title last season, two more than any other club.
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
• Reached every final from 2010 to 2013, winning twice, but have lost in the last 16 two years running.
Wolfsburg (GER)
• A semi-final loss to Paris Saint-Germain in last season's semi-finals ended their unbeaten European run and two-year reign as champions.
Rosengård (SWE)
• Marta's team are top of the Swedish league as they seek a fourth title in five years.
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
• Beat Lyon and Wolfsburg on their way to a first final last season.
Brøndby (DEN)
• Reached their third semi-final in 2014/15, eight years after their second.
Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)
• The 2003 runners-up are still Denmark's only finalists
Glasgow City (SCO)
• After reaching last season's quarter-finals have a bye to the knockout phase for the first time.
Zvezda-2005 (RUS)
• Became the only Russian club to reach the final in 2009.
Barcelona (ESP)
• The quarter-finalists two years ago have now turned professional.
FC Zürich (SUI)
• Swiss champions for the last six years.
Bayern München (GER)
• The German champions won the Valais Cup at the weekend, beating Paris and Lyon.
Zorkiy Krasnogorsk (RUS)
• Beat Stjarnan to reach the round of 16 in 2012/13.
Liverpool (ENG)
• The two-time English champions were unseeded last season and lost to Linköping.
ASD Verona (ITA)
• Reached the 2007/08 semi-finals, losing to Frankfurt
KIF Örebro (SWE)
• The only one of the three debutants to be seeded thanks to Apollon Limassol's qualifying round exit at the hands of Stjarnan.
Unseeded:
Standard Liège (BEL)
• Won the final edition of the joint BeNe League last season after two second places behind FC Twente.
Chelsea (ENG)
• The debutants lead the English league with four games to go and won the FA Women's Cup this month at Wembley.
Olimpia Cluj* (ROU)
• In their five seasons of existence have won the Romanian double every year.
Spartak Subotica* (SRB)
• Their squad includes Milena Nikolić, competition top scorer with 11 goals in 2013/14, who added nine last season but drew a blank in the qualifying round this time.
St. Pölten-Spratzern (AUT)
• Ended Neulengbach's 12-year reign as Austrian champions last season.
FC Twente* (NED)
• Scored 19 unanswered goals in the qualifying round but have drawn Lyon and Paris in the last two seasons.
Brescia (ITA)
• Made their debut last season but had the misfortune to draw Lyon in the round of 32.
PK-35 Vantaa* (FIN)
• Top scorers in the qualifying round with 20 goals.
Slavia Praha (CZE)
• Won the first three Czechoslovakian women's titles between 1970 and 1972 and in the last two seasons have eclipsed the previously dominant Sparta.
Atlético Madrid (ESP)
• Making their debut thanks to Spain earning a second berth this season.
PAOK* (GRE)
• Have twice reached the round of 32, losing to Arsenal in 2009/10 and Neulengbach a year later.
BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ)
• Held Frankfurt 2-2 in the first leg of their round of 32 tie last season, the only game the eventual champions did not win in the competition.
Stjarnan* (ISL)
• In the round of 32 for the third year running, having also drawn Russian sides Zorkiy and Zvezda in their previous appearances.
LSK Kvinner (NOR)
• Among their team are Norway FIFA Women's World Cup players Martia Skammelsrud Lund, Isabell Herlovsen, Anja Sønstevold, Ingrid Moe Wold, Marit Sandvei, Lene Mykjåland and Emile Haavi.
Medyk Konin* (POL)
• Won all three qualifying round games for the second year running.
ZFK Minsk* (BLR)
• The only third seeds to win their qualifying round group and the sole team to progress with a match to spare.
*Won qualifying round group
Tournament calendar
Round of 32 draw: 20 August
Round of 32: 7/8 & 14/15 October
Round of 16 draw: 19 October
Round of 16: 11/12 November & 18/19 November
Quarter-final & semi-final draw: 27 November
Quarter-finals: 23/24 & 30/31 March
Semi-finals: 23/24 & 30 April/1 May
Final (Reggio Emilia): 26 May