Women's Champions League returns: Manchester City returns and Barcelona defends title

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MADRID (AP) — The Women's Champions League returns with Manchester City back in the tournament and Barcelona looking to defend its title with a revamped squad.

Barcelona’s defense will include hosting Arsenal in a rematch of the 2025 final won by the London club.

The league phase, in its second year, begins Tuesday with 18 teams competing over six matchdays. The top four advance directly to the quarterfinals and the clubs finishing between fifth and 12th compete in knockout phase playoffs in February.

Italy's Inter Milan will make its debut in the league phase of the competition.

After lifting a fourth Champions League trophy last season, Barcelona will begin defense of its title with a new-look team following the departures of players such as two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, Mapi León, Ona Battle and Salma Paralluelo.

Still in the squad for the Catalan club are Ewa Pajor, Caroline Graham Hansen and three-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati, the team's main leader. Barcelona has also added players including Brazilian winger Kerolin.

It will debut against Paris FC at home on Wednesday. Paris reached the knockout-phase playoff last season.

Manchester City didn't make it to the league phase of the Champions League last season but is back after its first year under coach Andrée Jeglertz, who helped the team end Chelsea’s dominance of the Women’s Super League to claim its first league title in a decade.

City also won the FA Cup to complete a domestic double.

City, which debuts at Bayern Munich on Tuesday, made it to the quarterfinals two seasons ago, being eliminated by Chelsea.

“To qualify was massively important, it’s an expectation that we have at this football club. But every competition that we play in, we’re there to win,” team captain Alex Greenwood told UEFA.com.

“We know it’s going to be a challenge but it’s fantastic for the club. We’re going to give it absolutely everything, like we do in every other competition, take it game by game and see how far we can go,” she said.

Bayern was a semifinalist last season.

Inter Milan and Austria Wien will make their league phase debut this season.

Inter, which advanced through a penalty shootout win over Wolfsburg, will host Europa Cup winner Häcken on Tuesday.

Austria Wien, which eliminated SK Brann, will visit Chelsea on Wednesday.

Swiss club Servette will host eight-time champion OL Lyonnes on Wednesday.

Danish club HB Køge Women, which last appeared in 2021-22, will play at 2024-25 champion Arsenal on Tuesday.

The six rounds of the league phase start Sept. 22 and are played through Dec. 16. The final will be played in Poland’s national stadium in Warsaw in late May.

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