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After finishing second in the FA Women’s Super League, Manchester City will enter the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the sixth time in a row.
City came out of the quarter-finals last season against future champions Barcelona.
The club’s best result in the competition has been the semi-finals having reached this stage of the tournament twice (2016/17 and 2017/18) – they lost to Lyon both times.
Next season a new format will be introduced. Here are all the details ahead of City’s campaign.
The new changes
In the past, the UEFA Women’s Champions League has been played in the round of 16. But the new format will introduce a group stage for the first time.
The 2021/22 season will see a 16-team group stage, with the top two of the four groups advancing to the quarter-finals.
For the first time next season, England, alongside six of the other top coefficient-ranking associations, will have three teams in the competition which will see Chelsea and Manchester City joined by Arsenal next season.
There will be two qualifying rounds before the 16-team group stage.
The first round will be a mini-tournament format with semi-finals, a third-place match and finals.
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Meanwhile, the second round will have round trips home and away to determine which teams qualify for the group stages of the competition.
Much like in the men’s, the away goal has been erased, so if the scores are tied after 90 minutes, teams will have to play extra time and potentially penalties to determine the tie winner.
City will take part in the 2021/22 competition in the second round of qualifying.
They will be drawn against the winners of the five winners of the group stage of the first round of qualifying.
KEY DATES
First round
- Semi-finals: August 18
- Final: August 21
2nd round
- Prize draw: August 22
- First leg: August 31 / September 1
- Second leg: September 8/9
Group stage
- Prize draw: September 13
- Day 1: October 5/6
- Day 2: October 13/14
- Day 3: 9/10 November
- Day 4: November 17/18
- Day 5: December 8/9
- Matchday 6: December 15/16
Knockout phase
- Quarter-finals and semi-finals draw: December 20
- Quarter-finals first leg: March 22/23
- Quarter-finals second leg: March 30/31
- Semi-final first leg: 23/24 April
- Semi-final return: April 30 / May 1
Final : May 22.
Do you think Manchester City can go all the way in the Women’s Champions League? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
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