Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona and more battle in Europe this week as the UEFA Women’s Champions League returns for its second matchday of the league phase. The round runs Wednesday through Thursday, with nine games across the continent featuring some of the best teams in the game.
Francesco Porzio, who writes the Footy Fix, is keeping track of it all. The schedule includes a clash between Manchester City and Real Madrid on Thursday, plus matchups involving Roma, Hacken, Paris FC, Benfica, Bayern Munich, OL Lyonnes, Austria Wien, HB Koge and Paris Saint-Germain.
Matchday fixtures
Wednesday’s games kick off at 12:45 p.m. Eastern on Paramount+. The five fixtures are Roma vs. Barcelona, Hacken vs. Juventus, Paris FC vs. Arsenal, Benfica vs. Bayern Munich and OL Lyonnes vs. Chelsea. At 3 p.m., Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network broadcast Benfica vs. Bayern Munich and OL Lyonnes vs. Chelsea.
Thursday’s slate starts earlier, with Austria Wien vs. Inter and HB Koge vs. Servette at 12:45 p.m. on Paramount+. Paris Saint-Germain vs. OH Leuven airs at 3 p.m. on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network, while Manchester City vs. Real Madrid runs at the same time on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
Here is the full fixture list by time:
| Time | Wednesday, Sept. 30 | Thursday, Oct. 1 |
|---|---|---|
| 12:45 p.m. | Roma vs. Barcelona, Hacken vs. Juventus, Paris FC vs. Arsenal, Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, OL Lyonnes vs. Chelsea | Austria Wien vs. Inter, HB Koge vs. Servette |
| 3 p.m. | Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, OL Lyonnes vs. Chelsea | Paris Saint-Germain vs. OH Leuven, Manchester City vs. Real Madrid |
Barcelona’s opening statement
Sandra Herrera, who covers the Women’s Champions League for CBS Sports Golazo Network, broke down the biggest storylines ahead of the action. Barcelona opened their campaign with a 5-2 win against Paris FC.
“Like true Champions League contenders, with the post-game energy high, it was all business with conceding two goals to a dark-horse team in Paris FC,” Herrera wrote. “Barcelona’s midfield control doesn’t seem in much trouble with the departure of Alexia Putellas, thanks to the steady play of team captain Patri Guijarro.”
Guijarro’s passing range dictates tempo and sets up success for others around her, Herrera noted. New signing Kerolin also made an immediate impact, scoring her first UWCL goal for the club.
Barcelona are expected to win against Italian side Roma after such a definitive opening-day performance. Roma picked up a point in their first game but left too many chances on the pitch and couldn’t capitalize on anything particularly threatening.
“Barcelona aren’t the kind of side that lapses in finishing,” Herrera wrote.
What else is on TV
CBS Sports Golazo Network offers a full slate of programming beyond the live matches. The flagship morning show, Morning Footy, airs weekdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is available in podcast form.
Attacking Third is now a live studio show covering the NWSL season and European domestic competition. Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on news, results, match highlights and goals, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
The channel is free to stream on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.
A quiet U.S. update
The Footy Fix also touched on the U.S. men’s national team. Coach Mauricio Pochettino made ten changes from his team’s victory over Peru ahead of winning 4-2 against Chile in St. Louis on Tuesday.
Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 charges of financial breaches.
Reading the round
The Women’s Champions League is a dense competition, and this week’s fixtures cover a wide range of teams. Here is how the schedule breaks down:
- Wednesday, Sept. 30 — five games at 12:45 p.m., one at 3 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 1 — two games at 12:45 p.m., two at 3 p.m.
Herrera’s breakdown of Barcelona’s midfield control and new signings is the most substantive piece of analysis here, and it rests on a single match. The rest of the fixture list is a reminder of how the calendar works.
Source material: “Footy Fix: UWCL once again takes center stage as Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona and more battle in Europe,” CBS Sports.
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