The headliners for this round of UEFA Women’s Champions League round of 32 stage are reigning FA Women’s Super League champions Chelsea facing tournament debutant Benfica; Serie A Women champions Juventus hosting seven-time European champion Olympique Lyonnais; Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven taking on Spanish giants Barcelona and Dutch frontrunners in the Eredivisie Vrouwen Ajax spearheading a strong Bayern Munich side.
Links for how to watch these games will be found at the bottom of the article.
Chelsea vs. Benfica
Emma Hayes’ Chelsea will face a tricky opponent in young Portuguese side Benfica. A team that was just founded in 2017, Benfica has found its way to the UEFA Women’s Champions League after claiming its first Campeonato Nacional Femenino in the 2019/20 season by goal differential. But the Eagles will face Chelsea, an opponent whose caliber is higher than what Benfica is used to facing. With the likes Australia’s of Sam Kerr, Denmark’s Pernille Harder, South Korea’s Ji So-yun, England’s Fran Kirby and company, Chelsea has a team to not only beat Benfica but challenge for the 2020/2021 Women’s Champions League title.
Juventus vs. Lyon
Another young club that has risen to glory in a short span of time is Juventus F.C. Women, which was founded in the same year as Benfica women’s team. Ever since its creation in 2017, Juventus Women has ruled Italy winning three consecutive Serie A titles. However, they will face Europe’s most successful women’s team, Olympique Lyonnais. Les Lyonnaises have not lost a UWCL game since April 29, 2017, when they lost to Manchester City by one goal scored by USWNT’s Carli Lloyd.
PSV vs. Barcelona
PSV Eindhoven is currently second place in the Eredivisie Vrouwen and keen on remaining in Europe’s most prestigious club competition. Nonetheless, PSV knows the big challenge it has ahead when they face Barcelona Femeni. Barcelona, who are the queens of Spain after winning its fifth Primera Iberdrola in 2020, enters the round of 32 after a seven-game undefeated skid in the Spanish domestic league.
Ajax vs. Bayern Munich
Ajax and Bayern Munich will close UEFA Women’s Champions League play with their games scheduled for noon eastern time on Tuesday. Ajax is the current Dutch league frontrunners ahead of PSV and Twente. Ajax is back after missing out on the 2019/20 edition and will face a tough challenge in current Frauen Bundesliga front-runners Bayern Munich. Bayern is coming off a big win against reigning German champions and Champions League runner-up Wolfsburg. The game will be played in the innovative Sportpark De Toekomst, a sporting complex located in Duivendrecht, the Netherlands.
