New season, new UEFA Women's Champions League. FC Barcelona are back on Europe’s biggest stage this Tuesday night at 9pm CEST, kicking off their continental campaign against Bayern Munich at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. After last season’s heartbreak in the final against Arsenal, the reigning Liga F champions are hungry to put things right and get 2025/26 off to a flying start. The mission is this: go all the way again, only this time bring that glittering trophy back to Barcelona.

Top gear

Pere Romeu’s side could hardly be in better form. Six games, six wins in the league, with a jaw-dropping tally of 31 goals scored and just one conceded. Confidence is sky-high in Sant Joan Despí as the blaugrana prepare for their European bow, and the coach has a full squad to choose from — including Clàudia Pina, back after missing the Eibar match with a minor injury.

Head-to-head

History tilts in Barça’s favour. Of the four previous meetings with Bayern, the Catalans have taken three wins. The first came back in 2018/19, when goals from Hamraoui and Mariona secured twin 1-0 victories in the semi-finals. Their most recent encounters came in the 2022/23 group stage, where Barça cruised to a 3-0 triumph at the Camp Nou before falling 3-1 in the return fixture in Germany — a reminder that Bayern remain dangerous opponents, every bit as ambitious as they are experienced.

Bayern in fine fettle

Under Spaniard José Barcala, the Bavarians have also hit their stride. Fresh from winning the German Super Cup with a 4-2 victory over Wolfsburg, they’ve put together four wins and a draw in the Bundesliga to sit second in the table. Their latest outing — a thumping 4-0 against Werder Bremen — shows they’ll come to Barcelona full of belief. Last season, Bayern powered through the group stage only to fall to Olympique Lyon in the quarter-finals, proving they belong among Europe’s elite.

New format

The 2025/26 Women’s Champions League features a major change, mirroring the men’s competition. Two extra clubs have joined the mix, and the group stage is no more. Instead, all teams compete in a single league, each playing six games (three home, three away) against different opponents. The top four advance directly to the quarter-finals, while those finishing fifth to eighth face a play-off against the ninth to twelfth placed teams.

But whatever the format, Barça are setting out once again with their trademark blend of flair, focus and fierce determination, ready to chase the glory that has made them one of Europe’s true powerhouses in women’s football. And it all starts today!

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